France is set to face a nationwide general strike on Thursday as unions mobilized private-sector workers, civil servants, students, and retirees to demand salary increases and defend purchasing power, with the CFDT estimating 800,000 participants across the country.

The CFDT called on private-sector employees and public officials to strike, while inviting young people and retirees to join the demonstrations. Unions are demanding concrete responses from the government, saying proposals presented so far remain far from sufficient.

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Railway, transport, communications, postal, education, and some health-sector unions, along with high school and university students and members of the Yellow Vests movement, organized the marches, which were guarded by 70,000 police officers. In Paris, the police prefecture authorized a peaceful demonstration from Place de la République to Place de la Nation, with unions responsible for maintaining order to prevent infiltrated extremists from causing disruptions.

Thursday’s mobilization follows two public-sector strikes on September 29 and October 7, as well as protest marches on Saturdays, the 17th, 24th, and 31st of the same month, rejecting the high cost of living and demanding improvements in education.

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