A third of French universities on strike: walkout over wages and cost of living

A third of universities affected by the strike

About one third of France's higher education institutions reported disruptions on Thursday, the day of a nationwide strike over wages and the cost of living. According to figures from the ministry of higher education cited by BFMTV, the institutions affected were 60 out of 184 — compared with 51 on Tuesday, meaning the number of universities involved has grown over two days.

Schools: differing estimates of participation

The ministry of education reported that 15.81% of schoolteachers took part in the strike, including 19.14% in primary schools and 13.53% in secondary schools. SNES-FSU, the largest union of secondary school teachers, gives a substantially different estimate: according to its figures, staff participation in collèges and lycées reached 52%, including teachers, education counselors, psychologists, support staff and assistants. The union said it would meet later on Thursday to discuss next steps and coordinate the continuation of the mobilization with other unions.

Blockaded lycées and the scale of the protest

According to the ministry of education, as of 10 a.m. local time, 81 lycées were blockaded, or 2.2% of the total. The Union Syndicale Lycéenne, the union of lycée students, reports more than a thousand lycées blockaded or closed by administrative decision — a figure that diverges markedly from the official statistics. Unions called the strike over wages and the cost of living; workers, civil servants, pensioners and students are expected to join demonstrations across the country. Up to 780,000 participants are expected, and 70,000 police officers and gendarmes have been deployed to maintain order. The mobilization continues against the backdrop of student protests that began in mid-September and spread across lycées and universities in France.