Public sector strike begins in France

Across France, a strike by public sector workers began on Tuesday, with demands that a wage increase be included in the country's next budget.

This was reported by France24.

A broad coalition of civil servants' unions is organizing more than 170 rallies across France, demanding higher wages just days before the adoption of the 2027 budget.

The unions are hoping to attract as many workers as possible in order to influence the government's decisions on the draft budget, which is scheduled to be presented on Thursday, as well as to "send a signal to presidential candidates" at the start of an election campaign that is fostering "criticism of civil servants."

Firefighters will join the strike. After a summer marked by historic wildfires, they decided to hold a separate march in Paris.

Between 5,000 and 10,000 firefighters will march separately through the capital, after which they will join the civil servants' action.

The Paris march is expected to draw between 20,000 and 40,000 people, not counting firefighters.

A teachers' strike is also continuing in several regions of the country.