French unions call new strike and protest day for October 2
French unions announced Wednesday a fresh nationwide strike and protest day for October 2 after inconclusive talks with new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, following mass demonstrations last week against new austerity measures and pension reforms.
Issued on: 24/09/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
French unions will hold another day of strike and protests on October 2 to put pressure on new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu over their demands to scrap his predecessor's austerity fiscal programme, union leaders said.
Union leaders who met with Lecornu on Wednesday said they were not satisfied by his response to their last day of protest, attended by hundreds of thousands of people on September 18.
"The prime minister did not provide any clear answers to the workers' demands, so for the unions, it's a missed opportunity. It doesn't add up," said Marylise Leon, the head of CFDT, France's largest union.
Just over two weeks after President Emmanuel Macron appointed Lecornu as his fifth prime minister in less than two years, the 39-year-old loyalist has yet to pull together a government or a draft budget for 2026. He has to deal with a divided parliament and pressure to fix France's finances.
"There was a big turnout on September 18, and we need to step it up again on October 2," said Sophie Binet, of the CGT union, describing Wednesday's meeting as a missed opportunity where Lecornu made no clear commitment.
Lecornu has been little seen or heard in public since his appointment and has instead held a series of talks with party leaders and unionists to try and gather some support.
The prime minister and Macron are under pressure on one side from protesters and left-wing parties opposed to budget cuts and, on the other, from investors concerned about the deficit. None of parliament's three main groups has a majority.
France's budget deficit last year was close to double the EU's 3% ceiling. Lecornu will face a battle to gather parliamentary support for a budget for 2026.
Lecornu's predecessor, Francois Bayrou, was ousted by parliament on September 8 over his plan for a 44 billion euro budget squeeze. Lecornu has not yet said what he will do with Bayrou's plans.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
Copyright Thibault Camus/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved.By Sophia KhatsenkovaPublished on 24/09/2025 - EURPNEWS
France's trade unions call for new nationwide strike on 2 October to pile the pressure on new French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
French unions will hold another nationwide day of strikes and protest on 2 October after talks with France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Wednesday were unsuccessful
"The Prime Minister did not provide any clear answers to the expectations of workers. It’s a missed opportunity," said trade union CFDT leader Marylise Léon, speaking on behalf of the inter-union coalition.
Union leaders who met with Lecornu on Wednesday said they were frustrated by his reaction to their last day of protest on 18 September.
Appointed just over two weeks ago as France's fifth prime minister in less than two years, Lecornu still has yet to form a government or finalise next year's budget.
"What we are waiting for is a precise response, not polite listening," said CGT General Secretary Sophie Binet before entering the talks.
More than 500,000 people protested across France on 18 September against the government's austerity measures, according to French authorities.
Trade unions have claimed that more than one million participated in the strike.
At that time, unions issued an ultimatum to Lecornu: abandon the pension age increase, scrap unemployment benefit reforms, stop planned cuts to 3,000 civil service jobs, and bury the draft budget prepared under former Prime Minister François Bayrou.
Pressure mounting on Lecornu
As social tensions mount, Lecornu has tried to set his own agenda. Last Friday, he announced the creation of an initiative dubbed "Effective State", tasking two senior civil servants with continuously proposing measures to streamline public administratio
According to the Prime Minister’s office, the goal is to make state structures "simpler and more effective".
Lecornu has already confirmed the shutdown of three inter-ministerial delegations and a freeze on all government communications spending until the end of the year.
He also confirmed he would abandon Bayrou’s controversial proposal to cut two public holidays and said he planned to end "lifetime" benefits for former prime ministers.
But the pressure is not only coming from unions. Business organisations were scheduled to meet Lecornu on Wednesday afternoon.
France's largest employer federation, Medef, has announced an "enormous rally" of employer groups.
According to French newspaper L’Union, the date has been set for 13 October in Paris.
More than two weeks into his tenure, Lecornu has yet to form his cabinet.
But French President Emmanuel Macron defended him on French TV, saying the prime minister "is right to take his time" in putting a team together.
Time, however, may be running out. With unions promising a new day of action on October and employers mobilising for mid-October, Lecornu finds himself caught between two fronts.
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