“Enough is enough”: French unions launch petition opposing Bayrou’s budget plan

Tuesday 22 July 2025 - 15:00

French trade unions have united to push back against the government’s latest budget directions, unveiled on July 15. In a rare show of unity, leading union federations — including the CGT, CFDT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, FSU, and Solidaires — launched a petition this Tuesday on Change.org, accusing Prime Minister François Bayrou’s proposed measures of being "brutal, unfair, and ineffective."

The petition reflects growing frustration within the labor movement following a series of controversial reforms, including the widely contested pension overhaul earlier this year. Now, unions are alarmed by what they see as renewed austerity targeting workers, retirees, and the unemployed.

Among the most criticized proposals are a new wave of social insurance reforms, a freeze on social benefits, and the scrapping of two public holidays. “Once again, it’s the working class being asked to make sacrifices,” the petition states. “Enough is enough.”

Instead of cutting social support, unions urge the government to focus on alternative financial strategies. These include taxing record corporate dividends, implementing progressive taxation for high-income earners, and reassessing corporate subsidies — particularly those granted without transparency or obligations related to job creation or environmental responsibility.

“It is time to open a real discussion on tax fairness, wealth contribution, and the ethics of tax optimization,” the unions argue. They reject the idea that ordinary workers should bear the brunt of budget balancing measures.

This petition marks the beginning of a wider mobilization effort aimed at rallying public support and forcing the executive to rethink its fiscal strategy.