France: companies reporting strikes 2022

In France, the right to strike is a right with constitutional value and is part of the rights and duties granted since 1946 and included in the Constitution of the Fifth Republic. The Court of Cassation defines a strike as "the collective, concerted, and total cessation of work to present professional demands to the employer". In 2022, 2.4 percent of companies had reported at least one day of strike action in France. A peak was reached in 2010 when 3.6 percent of companies in France experienced at least one strike day. In 2020, the number of days not worked due to strike action as a proportion of the workforce was 67 days per 1,000 employees.

Companies and strikes

In France, the companies most affected by strikes are those operating in the industry and transport sectors. In 2022, 2.8 percent of companies in the transport and warehousing segment had declared at least one day of strike action, as did 3.8 percent of companies in the industry sector.
In addition, the larger the size of the company, the more likely it is to experience a strike. In 2022, 35.4 percent of businesses with more than 500 employees reported at least one day of strike action
The most common reasons for strikes are wages, working conditions, and pension reform: in 2022, 79 percent of companies indicated that salaries were among the reasons for the strikes they experienced that year.

Importance of strike rights in France

While the right to strike has constitutional value in France, in certain emergency circumstances, notably in the event of a proven breach of public order, the Government may order the requisition of strikers.
Yet, in the context of social movements taking place at various fuel depots in France, the Government announced, on October 12, 2022, the requisition of certain striking personnel. On October 18, tens of thousands of people demonstrated across France to demand higher wages and their indexation to inflation, against the requisition of strikers in the refineries, and for the protection of the right to strike. Many high schools were also mobilized. In fact, generally speaking, the youngest are often the most inclined to mobilize and demonstrate. In 2021, more than half of French people aged between 18 and 24 said they were ready to demonstrate, and about two out of five of them had already demonstrated once or several times.