French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Monday that the government is bringing forward the planned minimum wage increase from January to December. The decision comes after weeks of widespread protests against rising living costs and shortcomings in public services, Reuters reports.
The minimum wage will be increased by 1.6 percent, equivalent to 24 euros per month, to 1,502 euros net. The increase is the second-largest in 20 years, according to the prime minister, but falls short of the trade unions’ demands. The country’s largest trade union, CFDT, has demanded an increase of 100 euros, while CGT wants to see an increase of 10 percent, equivalent to around 150 euros.
The trade unions have criticized the announcement as insufficient, and CGT has called for new demonstrations on November 17.
The protests began in September with discontent over underfunded schools but have developed into broader demonstrations against the cost of living and political discontent.
The government is seeking to ease social tensions ahead of the presidential election in five months, while the country’s growing public debt limits the scope for further economic measures. According to Eurostat, 12.7 percent of French wage earners earned the minimum wage or just above it in 2024.
