French PM brings forward 1.6% increase in minimum wage in bid to calm protests
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Monday that a planned 1.6% increase in the minimum wage would be brought forward from January to December after holding talks with trade unions and business leaders over the cost-of-living crisis that has fuelled weeks of unrest across France. The increase fell well short of the demands of unions, which have called for fresh protests in the comi
The hike falls short of union demands, with the CFDT, France's largest union, calling for a €100 increase, while the left-wing CGT union is demanding a 10% rise, equivalent to around €150 a month.
"This is the second-biggest increase in 20 years, so it should not be held in contempt," Lecornu told journalists after meeting with unions and employers' federations.
CFDT head Marylise Léon said the increase was "insufficient" after the meeting, while CGT head Sophie Binet described it as "crumbs" and added: "We didn't come here to beg for alms." Binet also called for new protests on November 17.
Politically sensitive
France combines one of Europe's highest minimum wages with one of the largest shares of workers paid at or near that level.
The minimum wage amounted to 67% of average earnings in 2024, while 12.7% of employees were paid at or near the minimum wage, compared with 8% in Germany and 3.5% in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat data.
Changes to the minimum wage, which in France usually is automatically increased in line with inflation in January and sometimes midyear, therefore have a particularly broad impact on labour costs and are a politically sensitive subject.
The government is eager to find ways to ease public anger but it has little room for manoeuvre because of its mounting debt burden.
Protests erupted in high schools in September but have since spiralled into a broader outpouring of anger over living costs, public services and political stagnation.
The unrest comes five months before France's presidential election. Opinion polls currently suggest far-right candidate Marine Le Pen will face hard-left rival Jean-Luc Mélenchon in a run-off.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is coming to the end of his second term and whose approval ratings have hit a record low in opinion polls, is barred from running again.
