French unions mobilize to demand fiscal justice and an end to austerity

Published at: 02/10/2025 11:39 AM

This Thursday, in different cities of France on the second day of mobilization called by the trade union coalition against budgetary austerity measures and in demand of greater fiscal justice, maintaining pressure on Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) announced the organization of some 240 actions across the country, including marches in numerous cities and rallies at strategic points.

The authorities expect a 30% lower turnout than that registered on September 18, which brought together more than 500,000 people according to the police and one million according to the CGT.

After a meeting with the new prime minister, the unions consider that Lecornu has not responded to their demands and demand the total abandonment of the draft budget. The head of government dismissed the application of the Zucman tax on large assets and confirmed the continuity of the pension reform, one of the main union demands.

Last Wednesday, Lecornu sent a letter to union representatives pledging to introduce a measure to promote women's retirement in the Social Security budget for 2026.

Unions and left-wing parties described the proposal as a positive but insufficient signal.

The unions also demand that the 211 billion euros of public aid granted to companies be conditioned on compliance with social and environmental standards.

They also highlighted the need to have sufficient financial resources for public services and to invest in a just ecological transition.

Mazo News Team