France Strike Day: Ministry Counts 600,000 Nationwide, CGT Says 1.57 Million, Lecornu Calls Wage Talks

Updated 08:08 UTC, Nov. 6, 2026: Final turnout counts and a government wage conference

The Interior Ministry put the final nationwide turnout for Thursday's strike day at more than 600,000 people, the BBC reported, while France 24 reported a revised ministry estimate of about 575,000, including about 60,000 in Paris. The CGT union put turnout at 1.57 million and called it a level unmatched since 2023, citing big protests in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lille. The final counts replace the interim figure of 270,000 outside Paris carried in the first version of this report.

As darkness fell in Paris, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said he would convene a social conference with unions and employers on Monday, November 9, to discuss wages and purchasing power, the BBC and France 24 reported.

France 24 reported that 448 people had been arrested and 53 police officers injured as of 6 p.m. local time on Thursday. An estimated 9.89 percent of civil servants joined the strikes, and the education ministry said 16 percent of teachers walked out, the BBC reported.

The unions are seeking a rise in the minimum wage, which stands at 12.31 euros an hour. Marylise Leon, head of the CFDT, said: "We are asking for a net increase of 100 euros a month." The government has sought to ease anger over prices by releasing 10 million barrels of diesel from strategic reserves, and has promised reform of the Parcoursup university admissions platform by 2028, the BBC reported.

The protest wave began in September over conditions and resources at lycees, then spread to universities and workers, and revived a yellow vest movement against high prices.

France's nationwide strike day on Thursday brought 270,000 people onto the streets outside Paris by the count so far, the Interior Ministry said, with largely peaceful marches across the country, clashes and tear gas in Paris and Lyon, and the Eiffel Tower shut by the one day strike. The 270,000 figure is an interim count and excludes Paris, where the main demonstration started in the afternoon, so it is not a final national total.

Latest update: the day as it happened

The Interior Ministry said 270,000 people had taken part in protests around the country so far, excluding Paris. The CGT union's head, Sophie Binet, estimated that some 250,000 people were demonstrating across France before the Paris march began. "The government tried to block the demonstrations. The demonstrations are bigger than ever," Binet said.

Most marches were peaceful. In Paris, about two hours into the march, some of the people at the front clashed with police, who fired tear gas. At the start of the Paris march, Raphael Glucksmann said: "This country needs justice. We are going to bring the French people back together." Mehdi Dumontroty, 45, a firefighter joining the Paris protest, said: "Our pay has not kept up with inflation."

In Lyon, riot police fired tear gas and charged a group of protesters. Authorities counted 30,500 marchers in Lyon, while the CGT estimated 55,000. Six arrests were reported, and police said around 500 demonstrators threw projectiles and set pallets alight, after which officers responded with tear gas and all four metro lines and both funiculars were shut down. The Interior Ministry said police in Lyon had been confronted by several hundred hardcore protesters and that the violence had been contained, although tensions remained high.

The Eiffel Tower was shut by the strike, which was joined by some energy workers and teachers, but there were no major disruptions to transport. Around 70,000 police were on duty nationwide. The strike contributed to a reduction in French nuclear output early on Thursday, and the Education Ministry said just over 15 percent of French teaching staff had joined the strike.

Near Toulouse, people throwing fireworks caused a fire at a high school on Thursday morning, forcing pupils and staff to evacuate while firefighters doused the flames, the Interior Ministry said. Education Minister Edouard Geffray, writing on X about the fire, said: "This criminal behaviour is an absolute scandal."

The Paris final count was not out when this update was published. Every turnout figure in this update is a count so far, not a final national total.

France faced a nationwide strike on Thursday, November 5, 2026, after five union confederations called workers out against the government draft budget for 2027. The CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA and FSU joined the call for a national day of strikes and demonstrations, in a dispute over pay, pensions and money for public services.

More than 200 street demonstrations were planned outside Paris, according to the CGT. Hospital staff, air traffic controllers, postal workers, teachers and rail employees were all expected to take part, and hundreds of thousands of people were expected to march across France during the day.

Schools, trains and ports expected to be hit

The education ministry anticipated that almost 18 percent of nursery and primary school teachers would strike, with secondary teachers also expected to walk out. Those figures were forecasts published ahead of the action, not final counts.

Dock workers said there would be disruption at French ports. The national rail operator SNCF warned of disturbances to regional train services and to some services in the greater Paris area. All four main unions at SNCF joined the strike. Paris metro, buses and trams were expected to operate normally.

Authorities expected 500,000 to 700,000 people to march outside Paris and 40,000 to 80,000 in the capital. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 70,000 police and gendarmes would be deployed. Those turnout figures were also official expectations for the day, not confirmed totals, and this report will be updated when the Interior Ministry and the unions publish their counts.

What the unions want

The CGT is demanding higher wages and pensions, more money for public services and a different state and social security budget. The strike day was called on October 5 for November 5, giving schools, hospitals and transport operators a month to plan around the action, and giving the government a month of pressure over the draft budget.

The United States Embassy in Paris issued a security alert on November 4 confirming the scale of the plan. "A nationwide multi-sector strike is planned for Thursday, November 5, affecting teachers, healthcare workers, government employees, and public transport across France," the embassy said. The alert said the four largest railway unions had called a joint national strike.

Weeks of marches led into this day

The November 5 action followed weeks of demonstrations. About 320,000 people marched across France on October 31, according to the Interior Ministry, in the protest days leading into this strike.