French teacher unions threaten strike action over new budget

Teaching unions across France have threatened strike action in response to the government’s 2025 budget, which would see up to 4,000 jobs cut in the education sector. 

Read more: Tax increases and spending cuts: France's 2025 budget revealed

A major inter-union group of all leading unions in the sector – the FSU, Unsa, FO, CFDT Education, CGT Educ'action, Snalc and Sud Education – has backed the strike. 

Representatives of the unions have signed a letter to the Education Minister Anne Genetet signalling ‘a social alert prior to the submission of a national joint strike notice.’ 

“A red line has been crossed: at a time when public schools are in a bad way, the government's only response is to close posts and thus maintain the illusion that we can do better with less,” the letter says.

You can read the letter in full below.

The government has until Thursday (October 17) to engage in negotiations, before the union will file a prolonged strike motion.

The strike notice will run from November 4 to March 31, however this just means teachers in participating unions have the option to strike during these days, not that they will necessarily walk out for the entire period. 

However, with backing from all major unions, disruptions are likely to be severe. 

Staff in nurseries (maternelles) and primary schools must give a certain amount of warning prior to striking – as well as publicly announce their intention to strike – to allow parents to make alternative arrangements if the facilities will be closed. 

For secondary schools and colleges/sixth-forms (collèges and lycées), prior notice of this kind is not legally required.

It is the first time that all of the unions have combined to announce potential strike action in this way since a 2008 rule-change, which saw unions required to give the ministry a three-day notice period to enter negotiations before a strike motion could be filed.

Thousands of job cuts in sector 

The education sector was one of the hardest hit in the savings-seeking budget announced last week by prime minister Michel Barnier. 

Of the 4,000 job cuts primed to hit the sector, 3,155 would be in early education (marternelles and primary schools). 

The government justified the cuts by saying 97,000 fewer pupils will enter the education sector in the next school year, with fewer teaching staff required. 

The unions however called the announcement “a real bloodletting” and a “scuttling of state schools.”

Teachers have already been on strike multiple times this school year, in particular over the new changes to schooling introduced by the previous prime minister Gabriel Attal. 

These changes include more testing for younger pupils, and the creation of French and maths classes based on skill level. 

Read more: What changes in schools for the 2024 autumn rentrée in France