Overview
- The policy to make the full meal priced at €1 was extended from scholarship students to all students in May and has driven a sharp national surge in use of university restaurants.
- The unions' strike, which began Tuesday, was launched by FO-CFDT-UNSA to protest chronic understaffing, unbearable work rates and exhausted kitchen and service staff.
- Official Cnous data show meals served rose about 22% in spring, far above the 10% the government had planned for when it estimated costs and capacity needs.
- The ministry provided a €50 million envelope for 2026 and the minister pledged €143 million for 2027, but unions say those funds arrive too late and are pressing for the immediate creation of 500 jobs and urgent investments in equipment and premises.
- Students report waits that have roughly doubled to around 40 minutes, long queues and fewer seats, which pushes some to skip the subsidized meal and pay more elsewhere and reduces practical access for the poorest pupils.