Unions in the sector point out that the 2027 budget includes the elimination of 1,588 tenured teaching positions, while failing to provide for any general salary increases and keeping the index-point value for public employees frozen.

They are also calling for more staff to support students with disabilities, as well as better working conditions in primary and secondary schools, reports the television channel BFMTV.

In higher education, the situation is exacerbated by a shortage of university spots; unions estimate that 150,000 additional places are needed to ensure that high school graduates can pursue their chosen fields of study.

Furthermore, they are demanding the creation of 15,000 tenured public-sector positions to bolster teaching and research.

The unions are also calling for eight million euros in public funding for research, salary adjustments to keep pace with inflation, and a stabilization plan for contract-based staff.

For next Monday—the day before the planned strike—Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is scheduled to meet with unions, employers’ representatives, government ministers, and other organizations to seek solutions to the demands raised by students and the education sector.

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