France accelerates minimum wage hike in bid to quell protest

Unions slam the increase as insufficient, as the government seeks to defuse the unrest ahead of upcoming elections.

The French government has announced it will move a planned rise in the minimum wage forward by a month as it seeks to quell mass protests over the cost of living.

French ⁠Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on Monday that the ۱.۶ percent increase in the minimum wage, originally planned for the start of ۲۰۲۷, will now take effect from December ۱, ۲۰۲۶.

The move comes amid weeks of student-led demonstrations that started with calls for greater investment for the country’s underfunded schools but have morphed into broader protests and serious unrest – part of a wave across Europe.

The minimum monthly wage in France currently stands at ۱,۴۷۷.۹۳ euros ($۱,۶۵۶); the increase raises it by ۲۴ euros ($۲۷) to ۱,۵۰۲ euros ($۱,۶۸۳).

“Regarding the SMIC [minimum wage], we have decided two things: to bring forward the increase to ۱ December as opposed to ۱ January, and to raise this increase to ۱.۶ per cent,” said Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou at a press conference.

This increase represents “the second-largest rise in ۲۰ years; it should not be underestimated”, Lecornu told reporters, stressing that this boost is “not merely symbolic”.

“This increase has been carefully planned to ensure it does not lead to job losses,” the PM said.

The last rise came in June, when inflation levels triggered a ۳۵-euro ($۳۹) hike.

Despite the accelerated increases, the minimum wage still falls short of union demands. The CFDT, France’s largest union, has called for a ۱۰۰-euro ($۱۱۲) increase, while the left-wing CGT union is demanding a ۱۰ percent rise, equivalent to around ۱۵۰ euros ($۱۶۸) a month.

CFDT head Marylise Leon said the increase was “insufficient”. ⁠CGT head Sophie Binet described it as “crumbs”.

Election tension

The government is concerned about mounting social tensions five months before presidential elections.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is the frontrunner in the polls. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed party, who has been accused of encouraging the unrest, unveiled his programme on Saturday to some ۱۷,۰۰۰ supporters.

He pledged to boost the economy by capitalising on consumer spending and “through billions [of euros] that already exist”, adding that these savings “must be channelled towards our country’s environmental and social needs”.