Private medical laboratories to strike from May 4
Industrial action will not impact hospital labs but may delay non-urgent tests
People in France should verify private laboratory opening hours via their website or by phone
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People in France may face partial or total closures of out-of-hospital medical laboratories and testing delays due to industrial action from May 4.
Non-medical staff at private laboratories (not including hospitals) across the country are being called to participate in the strike, with no end date specified.
Several trade unions, including the FNIC-CGT, are condemning the lack of pay rises since January 2024 and a deterioration in working conditions and patient care in a sector deemed to be increasingly “taken over by large private financial groups”, explains a press release.
“The financialisation of healthcare is leading our system into a dead end; we at the FNIC-CGT reject this profit-driven approach,” it continues.
The successive takeovers of biology laboratories since the 2010s means that the number of labs in France has fallen from 4,000 in 2010 to just under 300 (representing some 50,000 employees) in 2025, states the FNIC-CGT.
Many of the laboratories have been acquired by investment companies using the LBO (leveraged buyout) model, which involves a buyout using large amounts of borrowed money, with the company being bought helping to pay back the debt.
This model forces newly acquired laboratories to repay debts and interest, leading to cost-cutting measures, increased workloads, redundancies and facility closure.
Today, the vast majority of laboratory employees, including cleaning staff, receptionists and administrative assistants, are believed to be paid the Smic (minimum wage) or just above it.
How might I be impacted by the strike?
People living in France should try to plan ahead for non-urgent tests and note that even if you have been tested before May 4, the communication of results may still be delayed.
If an urgent test is required, such as blood tests, use public hospital services as these are not affected by the planned industrial action.
You can verify the opening hours of local laboratories via their website or by phone, with planned strike action typically communicated 24 - 48 hours in advance.
If in doubt, you should contact your GP for advice or to help identify alternative solutions.
