On September 10, an estimated 200,000-250,000 protestors took to the streets in over 800 demonstrations across France to protest a wide range of government policies under the “Block Everything” (“Bloquons Tout”) movement. The movement began in protest of proposed government reforms that would cut public spending and eliminate two public holidays. Despite the ouster of Prime Minister François Bayrou, who initially proposed the reforms, on September 8, protestors moved forward with demonstrations in a show of opposition to the current government. Demonstrations took place in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Grenoble, Dijon, Orleans, Caen, Brest, and Dunkirk. Another day of action has been planned for September 18, when eight of France’s major unions have promised to join nationwide demonstrations, signaling more industrial disruptions to come.
Protestors target rail and road traffic across France
On September 10, rail workers from several rail operators launched strikes while demonstrators targeted rail networks and key roadways in other areas, contributing to logistics disruptions. Although rail disruptions mainly impacted passenger and commuter rail, services of rail freight provider DB Cargo France were disrupted until the early morning on September 11, particularly in northern France and the greater Paris region, due to rail worker strikes.
Additionally, protestors targeted rail infrastructure directly by initiating track occupations in the cities of Cherbourg and Valence Ville. Rail traffic was subsequently halted in both cases. Demonstrators also set fire to a rail line located between Toulouse and Auch during the morning on September 10, leading to all rail services of SNCF, France’s state-owned railway operator, being cancelled until 05:00 local time on September 11. SNCF services were cancelled between Toulouse and Bordeaux after protestors damaged rail cables between Marmande and Agen, while freight rail services at the Port of La Pallice in La Rochelle were halted after protestors removed ballast materials from the rail site. Organizers planned additional disruptions at the Gare du Nord rail station in Paris and the Saint-Charles rail station in Marseille but were blocked by security forces.
Roadways were another target of many protest actions, with demonstrators blocking major national highways and smaller urban roads alike. Major urban roadways affected included ring roads in Nantes (N-844), Strasbourg (M-35), Rennes (N-136), and La Rochelle (N-237) as well as the A8 motorway in Aix-en-Provence, the A10 motorway in Poitiers, the A20 motorway in Saint-Hilaire-Bonneval, and the A31 motorway in Kanfen.
Although an air traffic controllers’ strike was initially proposed, no major disruptions were ultimately reported at France’s largest airports. Due to the SUD Aérien union’s aviation worker strike, some flight disruptions occurred at smaller regional airports in southern France, including Marseille, Nice, Figari, Calvi, Bastia, and Ajaccio, where aviation authorities cancelled 50% of flights between 18:00-24:00 local time.
In most cities, protests were focused on city centers and major roadways, as well as education facilities where many students and professors joined demonstrations, rather than industrial sites. However, the involvement of two major unions with a strong industrial presence, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) and Solidaires Unitaires Démocratiques (SUD), led many local union chapters to declare protests and strikes at local industrial sites. Major multinational corporations in the aerospace, automotive, and machinery sectors were affected, including ArcelorMittal, Saint-Gobain, Airbus, and Renault. Work stoppages were also called at three major refineries of petrochemical company TotalEnergies SA.
Organizers focus on industry and logistics ahead of September 18 protests
Unlike the September 10 day of action, the September 18 protest will be supported by France’s eight major national unions, including the CGT, Force Ouvrière (FO), SUD, Fédération Syndicale Unitaire (FSU), the National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions (UNSA), the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC), and the French Confederation of Management – General Confederation of Executives (CGC). These unions represent workers across a wide range of industries and regions and are encouraging local chapters to launch strikes and protests at industrial sites, with some unions declining participation in the September 10 strikes to maximize participation on September 18. As a result, demonstrations on September 18 are expected to have a much wider industrial impact. Although few strike calls at industrial sites have been issued at the time of writing, further information is expected in the days immediately before the strike.
Among the planned actions are rail and aviation worker strikes. Significant disruptions to rail services are expected since three major unions plan to strike, including CGT-Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, and CFDT-Cheminots. Because these unions are legally required to publish their strike schedules with 48-hours’ notice, more information on the exact scope of impacts will likely become available around September 16.
Flight delays and cancellations are also expected since the Syndicat Majoritaire des Contoleurs Aeriens, the air traffic controllers’ union representing around 60% of French air traffic controllers, has issued a strike notice from the morning of September 18 to the evening of September 19. Additionally, Air France’s largest staff union, Force Ouvrière (FO), as well as the CGT Air France and CFDT Air France unions, plan to strike.
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