Following on from a post I wrote previously about The Ten Commandments of the French MealIf the Bible had been written by a Frenchman, then undoubtedly one of the Ten Commandments would have been “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Don’t believe it? Read the following quote:
Life is not work, if you work too much, you will go crazy.
This sentence was not said by Amir Peretz or Nissenkorn, but by President France Charles de Gaulle embodies the philosophical essence of the French work ethic, especially that of French civil servants.
Today's strike
The famous French comedian Colouche once said, “My mother was a civil servant and my father didn’t work either.” Civil servants, known in French as Fonctionaires, include teachers, firefighters, civil servants, and lecturers at public universities. They are joined by postal and railway workers, who are not considered civil servants but enjoy similar rights.
As a result, according to official statistics, there are about 3.3 million civil servants in France, and according to unofficial studies, civil servants make up about a quarter of the total French workforce. It is almost impossible to fire a civil servant in France, and the only way to get rid of a lazy employee is by promoting or transferring the employee (with his full consent, of course) to a better place (for example, to the post office in Saint-Tropez).
State employees earned their privileges thanks to the strike tool, which in French is called Greve after the square near the city hall. Paris That's where the unemployed gathered. Like in a restaurant. French There is a “ration of the day,” and in the French calendar there is a “strike of the month,” and when one public sector strikes, everyone joins in the celebration and the country is paralyzed.
As in France, the title of “King of Strikers” undoubtedly goes to the Railway Workers’ Union, whose leaders’ nerves begin to heat up as soon as the weather in Paris starts to cool down, and the next strike is underway. Some say that the reason France lost the bid to host the 2012 Olympics to England was a 24-hour warning strike by transport workers, which occurred just as the Olympic Committee was visiting Paris (despite the government’s pleas to postpone the strike to another day).
Strike in Paris – June 2023
French labor organizations are continuing their fight against pension changes, and after protests in May, are calling for continued strikes throughout June.
The protest day is scheduled for June 6, 2023. Public transport in Paris will of course be affected by the protest. Public sector workers in the railways, buses, metro, etc. are expected to strike, but there is no official confirmation yet.
Air traffic controllers strike: The controllers are expected to participate in the protest, and therefore delays and cancellations of flights are expected at all airports in Sarpan, including Orly, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nantes.
Additional sectors may join the strike, including the healthcare sector, but there is no precise information yet.
Strike at Disneyland Paris
The employees of Disneyland Paris Meanwhile, they have started their own labor dispute, which is disrupting the park's ongoing operations. In recent months, workers at the park and some of its hotels have been demanding a 200-euro monthly pay raise and other benefits, including more flexible working hours. On May 23, a strike broke out at the park, and workers marched in protest. The disruptions at the park continued, and performances and parades were also canceled. Waiting times for rides soared, and of course, park guests were not happy about it.
The strike continued on June 3, disrupting shows and other activities at the park. Disneyland offers refunds and rescheduling of tickets. If you have paid for additional services, such as Disney Premier Access, and cannot receive them at the park, you will receive a refund.
Following the protest actions, disruptions are expected in the park as long as the conflict continues – and the biggest problem is longer than usual lines. If this is not a must-see for you – it is recommended to wait for another opportunity, until things calm down.
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Labor union strike in Paris – March 2023
Update 23.3.2023
Today is a day of strikes and demonstrations.
This had been planned for a week, and despite the pension reform having passed, despite President Macron's speech (or rather, interview) yesterday, which once again firmly explained the need for reform, a large portion of the French were not convinced and took to the streets anyway to demonstrate as planned from 14:00 PM to 19:00 PM.
The parade will take place from Bastille Square to Opera Garnier Square.
This entire perimeter will be closed from 12:00 to traffic and it will be difficult for pedestrians to walk unless you also want to demonstrate.
I recommend that you walk around and stroll all day on the Left Bank (Saint-Germain and the Latin Quarter: the Pantheon area, the Bon Marché department store, the Luxembourg Gardens, the Church of Saint-Sulpice, etc.) or in Montmartre (for those who can get there on foot without going through the demonstration route) or in the Eiffel Tower area.
As you can also see in the photo of the metro app, there will be no metro today (nor RER, intercity trains, buses). There will be a tramway for those interested in traveling from the west to the east of the city.
Airports:
Air traffic controllers at Orly, the cities of Lyon, Toulouse and Marseille requested the cancellation of 30% of flights today.
Many French people will be working from home today and it is likely that restaurants/cafes/museums/open-air stores will be understaffed here and there today (those who were unable to get to work or those who are on strike or protesting) even though many Parisians are getting around the city by bike today. But not all workers live in the heart of Paris)
No rain is planned today but it will be a bit blustery (typical Parisian) 
) and there will be a little wind in the afternoon.
Have fun and enjoy yourself as much as possible in the City of Lights today!
Tomorrow will be another day and Paris will always be Paris and strikes and protests are part of the package of this beautiful country!
Update 17.3.2023
Yesterday was a particularly tense and turbulent day in the National Assembly. Macron brought forward his plan to change the retirement age, and the plan did not win a majority. In response, he used Article 49.3, which allowed him to pass the reform even without the support of the Assembly.
As a result, chaos broke out, as members of the assembly from the far-left and far-right parties began to sing the La Marseillaise in a demonstrative manner and called on their supporters to take to the streets. The supporters did just that, besieging the National Assembly building and sliding from there towards Place de la ConcordeBoulevard Haussmann also became a scene of violent demonstrations.
The far-left and far-right parties announced that they will submit a motion of condemnation next week: a parliamentary tool that has been included in the French constitution since 1958 and requires the government to appoint a new prime minister (or prime minister) within 14 days and, if not, to dissolve the assembly, which will lead to new elections for legislators in extreme situations.
How will your trip to Paris be affected by the strike?
After a 15-day strike by garbage collectors and incinerators across Paris, 10,000 tons of waste accumulated in the districts managed by the Paris municipality. However, the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 18th and 19th arrondissements managed to maintain a reasonable level of sanitation because garbage collection was carried out there by private companies.
The mayor of Paris (Socialist Party), who supports the strike, announced that she supports the strike movement and refused, in a letter published on her Twitter account, to demand that garbage collectors empty trash cans in the most problematic neighborhoods as requested by the Minister of the Interior.
The trustee has now ordered (the municipal services of the city of Paris) to collect the garbage during this weekend (even if the garbage collectors have declared a strike until Monday, March 20. They have therefore announced that they will collect the bins “at their own pace”).
The waste is being transported to a town west of Paris to a plant specializing in waste storage, which is not on strike, before being sent to incinerators, which are still on strike. The hope is that by Monday, March 20, Tuesday, March 21, Paris will be able to get rid of its garbage.
Unions have called for strikes and demonstrations across France on Thursday, March 23 to express their anger at the reform passed “by force” that risks disrupting transportation (airports/trains/metro/buses). We do not yet have all the details of the strike on Thursday, March 23.
The weekend of March 17 to 19 is expected to be stormy in places in Paris (around the National Assembly, at the Place de la Republique, etc.).
Historical background to the current strike
What is the reason for these strikes and how will it affect your trip to Paris or France?
France is a country of revolution, a country where the monarchy was abolished and civil rights came to the forefront. The rebellions, riots, debates, and strikes that have occurred in France from 1789 to the present have resulted in governments enacting social laws that establish the social rights of citizens in France, sometimes with extremely high resolution.
Many citizens believe that giving up rights is intolerable, especially when it comes to social achievements that were achieved after a difficult war. For them, giving up these rights is a regression, and even expresses a fear of a return to monarchy.
Although they fiercely defend their rights, society and the world are changing and reforms are needed. Since 1980, there has been a lively debate around the issue of pensions, regardless of the government in power. There have been developments, but no government has really dared to initiate pension reform, as Macron's government is doing today.
Two issues are currently preoccupying the French people: the retirement age and the significant differences in pensions between public and private sector employees. One of the main reforms that Macron has been trying to implement since taking office in 2017 is that of the Retraite des Français.
In France, all workers contribute to the public fund, from which pensions are distributed to all French citizens, according to the number of years they worked (in which they contributed to the fund), and the difficulty and/or risk of the work.
Today, the average retirement age is a maximum of 62. In certain professions, which are more physically demanding or dangerous, such as construction, railway workers, bus drivers, sanitation workers, medical professions, gas and electricity workers, police and even dancers and opera singers, workers retire at age 57 and sometimes can even stop working at age 52. This is a benefit called “a special regime.”
Macron wants to implement a reform that would raise the legal retirement age to 64 in 2030 and accelerate the period of contributions to the public purse to 43 years starting in 2027, but to reach a point where no one would have to work for more than 44 years. He also wants to end special benefits for public employees and create equality in pensions between them and private sector workers.
The proposed reform is linked to the increase in life expectancy in the Western world. In France, life expectancy for women in 1980 was 78 years, and for men 70. In 2022, the numbers are 85 for women and 79 for men. It is estimated that these numbers will continue to rise. That is, people are living much longer.
It is understandable that it does not take much to bring the French to the streets, and they plan to block many roads and areas. The right to strike in France is enshrined in law, and the most a worker can lose is 1/30 of his salary due to a strike. The French plan to oppose the reform forcefully, hoping that the government will take the hint and cancel it.
After countless discussions, amendments, and changes proposed by the opposition, especially by left-wing and environmental organizations, the government will vote on the reform by March 26, 2023.
A few words about Miriam Edri
Miriam was born in France to average Russian/Cuban and Moroccan parents (a very interesting combination). During her life she lived not only in France but also in Israel, Venezuela, the USA and the Caribbean. During her life Miriam worked in the field of tourism and marketing and today she is engaged in making French culture accessible to Israeli tourists.
Miriam's main goal is to help Israeli tourists discover Paris through French eyes, and she does this through a series of tours on culinary, fashion, theater, and more. Tours with her can be booked through Her website.