The strikes planned in France this autumn you should know about
From Paris public transport staff and the country’s public service workers to pilots and cabin crew, firefighters and industrial employees, here’s a list of strikes planned across France this autumn.
September 28th
The strike notice has been filed by the CGT-RATP union and covers all employees of Paris’s RATP public transport authority. The union cites the loss of purchasing power and the failure of the social alert procedure, arguing that management’s responses have been sporadic and insufficient.
Disruptions are possible on the metro, the RATP sections of the RER A and B, as well as on the bus network from this date.
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September 29th
France’s public-sector unions have called for a nationwide day of strikes and demonstrations on September 29th, covering the three branches of the civil service: central government, local authorities and the public hospital system.
Railway workers have also called a strike across France on September 29th. The Sud Rail union is calling on railway workers, arguing that “working conditions have continued to deteriorate, exacerbated by the heatwave”.
READ ALSO French rail workers call September strike
An ongoing firefighters’ strike – which started in early September and runs through to October 20th – overlaps with the wider public-sector strike, with a day of action planned to coincide with the general protest.
READ ALSO French firefighters call strike over ‘under-staffing and lack of resources’
October 1st
Following the cabin crew strike in mid-August, the pilots at low-cost airline easyJet in France are protesting against the “chronic instability” of their work schedules.
The twice-postponed strike has now been called by the Syndicat national des pilotes de ligne (SNPL), France’s main pilots’ union for October 1st and 2nd. Airports potentially most exposed are those where easyJet has French-based crews such as: Paris-Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Nice, Nantes, Bordeaux and Toulouse.
October 8th
A strike has been announced at TotalEnergies on Thursday, October 8, 2026, called by the CGT, on all of the group’s sites, with possible effects on refineries, depots and some service stations in the network.
Workers are protesting “deteriorating working conditions and job security, staff shortages, and the loss of purchasing power”.
Disruptions to fuel supplies are possible.
October 17th
French pilots and cabin crew have called a five-day nationwide strike from October 17th to October 21st, 2026, over planned changes to France’s rules on combining employment and retirement pensions.
The strike could lead to flight cancellations, delays and schedule changes for airlines and crews covered by French labour law, although the scale of disruption will depend on how many workers take part. Airlines have not yet announced detailed plans, so passengers should check with their airline and airport closer to the dates.
READ ALSO French pilot and cabin crew unions call for strike during Autumn holidays
Meanwhile, in something of a blast from the past, calls are once again circulating in France for the ‘yellow vests’ (gilets jaunes) to take to the streets and roundabouts, in a protest against the rising cost of living.
Local groups have called for protests in dozens of towns and cities including Paris, Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble.
READ ALSO France’s ‘Gilets Jaunes’ protesters urged to take to the streets again
November 5th
The Fédération des Travailleurs de la Métallurgie (FTM-CGT) has called for a day of action in protest at site closures, relocations, and job insecurity. A protest is planned in Lyon.
We will add this article as we learn of more strikes this autumn. Let us know if there’s industrial action we need to include.
