Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced today that France’s minimum wage will rise to €1,502 net per month in December rather than January, an increase of €24. The decision follows weeks of demonstrations that began with students protesting underfunded schools in September before spreading to wages, public services and living costs. On October 17, riots and looting hit several French cities, exposing serious gaps in the government’s response. Lecornu later acknowledged intelligence and policing failures. The government has since deployed additional security forces, but the economic grievances remain. The CFDT union wants another €100 a month; the CGT is demanding a 10% increase. Both unions criticized today’s announcement, and the CGT called for fresh demonstrations on November 17. France is trying to contain a street crisis while struggling with a mounting budget deficit.
CGT, UNSA, FSU, Solidaires, CFE-CGC and FA-FP announced a new day of strikes and demonstrations. They are demanding an increase in public-sector pay after the government kept the salary index frozen for a fourth consecutive year. The protest is expanding beyond minimum-wage workers.
Government reveals 69 industries have negotiated minimum salaries below the legal minimum
Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou said 69 professional branches still have negotiated minimum pay scales below the statutory minimum wage. Half of the branches have not renegotiated their salary scales in a decade. The government wants negotiations to begin immediately, with initial results expected in December.
Lecornu offers businesses tax breaks alongside the wage increase
The government is proposing tax exemptions for overtime up to €10,000, public-transport reimbursements and employee profit-sharing bonuses. It wants employers to accept higher wages without facing the full additional labor costs. This creates another dispute over whether public money should subsidize businesses while workers struggle with living costs.
CGT says the government has failed to address the broader cost-of-living crisis
CGT leader Sophie Binet dismissed the announcement as insufficient and argued that workers need broader wage increases, not just an adjustment to the minimum wage. The union is demanding higher pay scales throughout the economy and action on purchasing power.
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