Lyon firefighters strike over Olympic holiday restrictions
Two-week limit on summer holidays and small bonus are behind decision, says union
IIn some cases, firefighters in the city have only been offered a €200 bonus, say union leaders. Photo shows a protest in March 2023
HJBC/Shutterstock
Firefighters in Lyon are on strike over limits on how much holiday leave workers can take this summer due to the Olympic Games.
The strike, called by the Sud union, began yesterday (July 24) and runs until August 11, which is the end of the Olympic Games.
Whilst Lyon is not the host city of the Games, its football stadium (which, due to Olympic rules, has temporarily been renamed) will host a number of matches during the tournament.
Workers are dissatisfied over restrictions on how much holiday they can take this summer because of the Games.
Usually, firefighters can take three weeks of leave during the summer, but in 2024, a strict two-week maximum is in force.
Firefighters in the city believe this, along with the extra workload caused by the Games, is not sufficiently covered by the €200 bonus they were offered.
In some cases workers were only offered a €70 bonus and an additional paid overtime shift, said one union representative.
Parisian firefighters, who went on strike earlier this year, will receive a €1,600 bonus for their work during the summer.
Read more: Paris airport workers file strike motion for Olympics opening ceremony
Minimum service rules will apply
Union bosses have confirmed that minimum service rules will apply, meaning a sufficient number of firefighters will be working at any given time to cover the needs of the city.
Certain public services and ‘key’ jobs (such as in hospitals, the police, firefighters and so on) must adhere to minimum service rules when workers are on strike, so as not to impact the safety of citizens.
However, official advice for those attending games at the stadium is to be extra vigilant, as there may be fewer on-site firefighters than usual.
Some public transport workers in Lyon will also strike, meaning T7 tram services to and from the stadium will not run on Olympic match days.
However, replacement shuttle bus services will be employed, and other public transport links should remain unaffected.
Read more: UPDATED: Strikes in France in July 2024 and how you may be impacted
