Workers and professional groups across France are staging protests over a range of issues, including pay, working conditions and rising energy costs.
Fishermen, police officers, energy workers, university staff and other groups are taking part in demonstrations and strikes, Caliber.Az reports, citing French media.
Fishermen began blocking an oil depot in Fos-sur-Mer, in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, disrupting the movement of around 50 tanker lorries, according to local authorities.
The action came after demonstrations in Sète and Port-Vendres on September 14. Fishermen say rising fuel and operating costs, together with increasing regulatory requirements, are putting further pressure on their working conditions.
They are demanding talks with Fishing Minister Catherine Chabaud.
Meanwhile, several thousand police officers are expected to march along the Champs-Élysées towards the National Assembly after the Alliance Police Nationale union called for demonstrations over pay and working conditions. The union is seeking political backing for its demands.
These include a bonus for riot police and certain border officers, changes to other bonuses and adjustments to the employment status of forensic officers.
The union is also calling for improved pay and greater recognition for staff working in prefectures.
Electricity and gas workers, meanwhile, are planning a strike against proposed changes to their preferential energy rate, which is part of their compensation package.
The government is considering revising the long-standing staff tariff after the Court of Auditors found that the difference between the preferential rate and the actual cost of energy was too large.
Around 140,000 workers and 160,000 retirees currently benefit from the tariff. The Court of Auditors says it is less than 2% of the average electricity or gas rates paid by consumers, while unions put it at around 10% of what households pay on average.
Unions expect more than 80% of workers to join the strike, arguing that the preferential rate is particularly important for employees who often begin their careers on salaries below the minimum wage.
University staff and researchers are also mobilising against what unions describe as chronic underfunding of higher education and public research.
They are protesting worsening study and working conditions, as well as measures they believe could make higher education less accessible.
A broad coalition of unions estimates that higher education is facing a funding shortfall of at least €8 billion, while public research is also missing another €8 billion.
Today’s demonstrations in Paris and other cities are being viewed as an initial mobilisation ahead of a larger nationwide protest planned for September 29. The action comes as universities face debate over whether they should increase fees and introduce more selective admissions.
Firefighter, nurse and student unions, together with environmental and animal protection groups and a feminist collective, have also called for a demonstration outside the Economy Ministry on Tuesday evening to demand “resources to tackle climate change”.
With the 2027 budget approaching, the groups are calling for several emergency measures to be included in the finance bill.
Their demands include a plan to address extreme heat, a tax on the “biggest polluters” and increased funding for wildfire prevention.
By Bakhtiyar Abbasov
