Overview

• Participation in the May 13 public sector strike was minimal, with 3.1% of state workers and under 2% of hospital and local administration employees taking part.
• Five unions, including the CGT and FSU, called for the strike, while major unions CFDT and FO abstained, citing disagreements over methods of protest.
• Public sector workers are protesting salary erosion, which has seen a 15% decline in real terms since 2017, and the government's refusal to reverse a 10% reduction in sick-leave pay.
• The strike caused limited disruptions, including flight cancellations at Tarbes and Pau airports and delays at others such as Marseille and Paris-Orly.
• Union leaders warn of worsening public service conditions, citing underfunded hospitals, recruitment crises in education, and insufficient university budgets despite modest funding increases.