France to raise minimum wage by 1.6% — Anadolu Agency

In France, the minimum wage will rise by 1.6% from 1 December, to €1,502 per month after taxes. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced this amid a new wave of social mobilization in the country, Anadolu Agency reports.

Wage increase and tax measures

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou said that the new minimum wage level will take effect on 1 December. Lecornu described it as the second-largest increase in the past 20 years and stressed that it is not merely symbolic. At the same time, he said that a more substantial increase could eventually cause significant job losses.

The government also intends to submit amendments to the 2027 budget bill. They will provide for energy-related payments, an increase in the tax-free limit for overtime pay, and tax breaks for bonuses linked to employees’ participation in profit-sharing.

Fuel assistance cap

Economy and Finance Minister Roland Lescure said that the government will propose maintaining a €1,000 cap on assistance to cover workers’ fuel costs in 2027. Last year, the cap was raised from €300 to €1,000 in response to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Lecornu also said that raising the minimum wage is insufficient, but that it launches a new cycle of discussions on pay growth. In the coming days, the wage monitoring committee is to hold meetings with trade unions and employers.

Strikes and high school blockades

A new week of social mobilization began in France on Monday. The prime minister’s office held a social conference involving trade unions and employers’ organizations. Some trade unions and youth representatives who were not invited to the conference called for a strike and demonstrations on Tuesday.

As of 9:30 a.m. on Monday, 31 high schools were blocked in the country, accounting for 0.8% of approximately 3,700 French high schools. BFM cites these figures from the Ministry of Education. In the Île-de-France region, disruptions were recorded at 50 high schools, according to regional authorities. They also reported around 30 incidents involving fireworks, including about ten on school premises.