France prepares for crippling strikes set to be biggest in decades

Flights, trains schools, post and waste collection services face ‘severe disruption’

Commuters wait on a crowded platform at Saint-Lazare metro station during delays caused by strike action in Paris on 11 December, 2009 (AFP via Getty Images)

France is gearing up for its biggest strikes in years, as nationwide action across swathes of the workforce looks set to bring the country to a standstill.

Train drivers, teachers, postal workers and police are among those planning walkouts in response to the French government’s proposed pension reforms. Hospital workers and firefighters may also join the action, having also been on strike in recent weeks over industrial disputes.

There is no fixed end to the “unlimited strike”, which begins at 10pm local time (9pm GMT) on 4 December, meaning it could carry on for days or even weeks.

Since coming to power in 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted that changes to the labour market are essential to revitalise the country’s economy. But under the reforms, generations of workers fear they will have to work longer for less.

Macron’s plans would see the introduction of a universal pension system – a key promise during his election campaign. It would replace the 42 different pension schemes currently in place, which contain specific provisions like early retirement for train workers.

But the disruption could paralyse the French economy if a resolution is not reached soon, with several workers unions vowing to continue the strikes until Macron abandons his plans.

The SNCF rail operator said services would be “severely disrupted”, warning that nine out of 10 high-speed trains would be cancelled across the country. International routes will also be affected, with Eurostar announcing cancellations on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Severely reduced Metro services in Paris will affect millions of workers in the capital on Thursday, with many businesses encouraging employees to work from home. Thousands of schools will also be closed, as teachers join marches in cities around the country.

Many flights into and out of the country will also be delayed or cancelled, while waste collection will also be put on hold until a resolution is achieved.

If not, some believe the social discontent could cripple the country in a manner similar to the massive general strikes of 1995.

The General Confederation of Labour (CGT), one of the largest trade unions in France, said the pension reforms had sparked an ideological battle in a country that has one of the most progressive social protections in the world.

“We have one of the best retirement systems in the world, if not the best. However, the president of the Republic decided, by pure ideology, to annihilate it,” the union’s website stated.

“Everything about social issues, or about health, is now seen as an expense that needs to be reduced. [Social protections] are symbols of a modern country that protects its citizens from disease and misery.”