Strikes and protests in France in November 2026

Social unrest is set to continue across France this month, as major strike action is renewed and ongoing cost of living protests take place.

We cover the main strike action expected below and will add to this list if further protests are announced. 

Union ‘general strike’ call - November 17 

Several unions have come together to announce a second day of major ‘interprofessional’ strike action – a ‘grève générale’ – on November 17. 

Unions including the CGT, l’UNSA, la FSU, Solidaires, CFE-CGC and FA-FP made the announcement following a meeting with the government on Monday November 9. More unions may back the strike before next Tuesday. 

The unions are again calling on private- and public-sector workers to strike, as well as for retirees, pupils, university students, and gilets jaunes protesters to join demonstrations. 

Marches will be held in cities across France, and unions will look to replicate the numbers seen at the first round of strikes held on November 5. 

More information on disruption will be available closer to the time, but it is possible that local services, transport, healthcare, and high-street stores are all impacted. 

Gilets jaunes protests – ongoing 

Weekend protests under the gilets jaunes banner show no signs of slowing down in France, and have continued into November. 

The weekend of November 7/8 saw the lowest turnout yet for weekend protesters, but organisers have called for action to continue. 

Unlike union marches, these protests are not organised through a single centralised unit but numerous local cells, meaning it can be difficult to know in advance how disruptive action will be. 

Cities and larger towns are likely to see marches over the coming weekends, particularly on Saturdays. 

Lycée protests – ongoing

Protest action by French lycée pupils (aged 15 - 17/18) continues for the third month, although action is more sporadic than in October.

Pupils are protesting over the poor state of schools, including oversized classes, run-down facilities, a lack of teachers and replacement teachers, loss of teaching hours, and concerns over the university administration process.

Protests have died down following their high point in October as the government offered several concessions, but some schools continue to see sporadic blockades.

Separately from the pupil demonstrations, teachers across the education system are carrying out a strike on November 10 focused on low salaries and poor working conditions. They have asked pupils and parents to support them.

Firefighters - September 8 to December 4

Pompiers have renewed strike action until December 4.

Called following devastating wildfires this summer, the strike action was originally set to end on October 20, but was renewed as conditions were not met. 

Firefighters are demanding improved funding for services, and better equipment and support for tackling summer blazes. 

As part of strike action, firefighters will not refuse to work but may not carry out additional duties such as administrative activities, ceremonial duties, or training.

They are covered by minimum service requirements, and will still respond to callouts and urgent situations. However, they may be slower to respond to non-emergencies. 

Energy workers: July 21 - December 31

An ongoing strike motion covering EDF, Enedis, and RTE workers (the latter two companies oversee France’s electrical grid) is in place until December 31, 2026.

Backed by several unions, the strike is against plans to strip back the ‘tarif agent’, a preferential energy tariff for employees of the companies. 

There are no plans for scheduled power cuts, however there may be a delay from the services in responding to callouts, on-site interventions, standard maintenance work, or customer service complaints. 

Grenoble public transport - October 12, 2026 - January 1, 2027 

Bus and tramway workers in Grenoble (Isère) have filed a strike notice following a breakdown in annual negotiations. 

Backed by unions including FO, l’UNSA, Solidaires and CFE-CGC, striking workers want higher remuneration in light of the cost of living crisis – including a bonus to combat increased energy prices – as well as better working conditions.

A strike notice does not mean that workers will necessarily walk out, but gives them the opportunity to do so over the given dates, if they respect the notice period for informing officials of their intention to strike. 

Public transport services in Grenoble may be impacted for the duration of the strike – check your journey ahead of time if planning to use the bus or tram.