France is facing yet more strikes and protests today (18 September), as concerns over proposed budget cuts continue, including fears over the government's plans to remove pension indexation.

Various French unions have united to back the protest action, which includes more than 600 demonstrations across the country, as concerns over the government's proposed budget persist, with particular worries raised over its plans to cut public services, freeze benefits and remove pension indexation.

"Together, we solemnly warn of this context and the situation in our country," CTFC said in a statement announcing the planned action.

"Since the President of the Republic's forced passage of pension reform, our country has been sinking into a profound social and democratic crisis."

The call for protests has also received backing from further afield, as German United Services Union (ver.di) confirmed that it is also supporting the French unions in their fight against the government's planned measures.

"The planned cuts – cancellation of public holidays and vacation entitlements, cuts in the public sector, devaluation of pensions, higher co-payments in healthcare, and interventions in labor law – place a one-sided burden on employees, the unemployed, the sick, and pensioners," said Ver Di chairman, Frank Werneke.

"There should be no attempt to solve the country's economic problems at the expense of the broad majority of the population."

The strike action comes shortly after the news that French Prime Minister, François Bayrou, has been ousted after losing a confidence vote in the National Assembly, following growing backlash to his plans to tackle the national debt.

Efforts are underway to assuage union concerns, however, as the new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, met with various trade union representatives earlier this week to discuss the concerns and union demands.

This included CFE-CGC president, François Hommeril, who said that the meeting had given the impression that Lecornu was "sincere" in his listening.

"He indicated that he wanted to put intermediary bodies back at the center of discussions and negotiations, and to pay real attention to the social partners, whom he also intends to mobilize on a certain number of subjects to be defined," Hommermil said.

However, Hommermil reiterated the unions demands, confirming that, in terms of social protection, the CFE-CGC is still calling for the repeal of the 2023 pension reform arguing that there is no question of resuming the conclave negotiations, "for the simple reason that the final text that was on the table at the end of the work was torpedoed by the Medef while we had many proposals, for example the opposability of part-time work at the end of a career".

---