Strikes, demonstrations and getting around on strike days

Newcomers commonly report being surprised by how often strikes are announced, and by how routinely people adapt to them:

• Strikes are a constitutional right. The 1946 Preamble, part of today's Constitution, states that the right to strike is exercised within the laws that regulate it. Campus France's guide for international students points out that the French word grève comes from the old name of the square in front of Paris City Hall.
• Transport disruption is announced in advance. In land public transport (metro, RER, buses, trams and trains), staff who intend to strike must declare it individually at least 48 hours beforehand, so that operators can draw up a forecast service plan and inform passengers. Media coverage of the national strike day on 29 September 2026, for example, relayed line-by-line forecasts on the afternoon before.
• Not all lines are affected equally. On that day, forecasts announced normal service on the metro and RER A and B, while RER C, D and E and two Transilien lines ran reduced services, some with one train in two or three. The impact on your journey depends on which lines you use.
• Schools have a reception duty. When a teacher in a public nursery or primary school is on strike, pupils must still be received during class time, free of charge. If 25 percent or more of a school's teachers strike, the town hall organises the reception, sometimes in another building.

A negotiated right with rules

Strikes are part of how employees, unions and employers negotiate in France, especially in public services. The law sets procedures rather than banning disruption: in public land transport, the 2007 law on social dialogue and continuity of service requires prior negotiation before a strike notice, individual declarations 48 hours ahead and a withdrawal at least 24 hours before. In January 2026 a parliamentary committee adopted a bill to restrict strikes at peak hours in transport; check the current law if this matters to you.

Demonstrations

Strike days are often accompanied by demonstrations (manifestations). Marches on public roads must be declared in advance with their route; in Paris the declaration goes to the Préfecture de police, which can ask for changes or ban a march that would threaten public order. Routes are therefore usually known beforehand.

What it means for you

For most newcomers, strikes are a matter of planning: checking forecasts, arranging remote work or alternative transport, and sorting out childcare. For schools, the director must warn parents of the foreseeable effects of a strike, usually with a notice outside the school, sometimes also by email or text message.

• Sector. Transport strikes affect the most people day to day, but strikes also occur in schools, hospitals, energy, airports and other services, each with their own rules on minimum service.
• Scale. Some strikes concern a single line or school; national days of action can affect many services at once.
• Your situation. People who can work remotely, cycle or walk are less affected than those who rely on one RER line or who have young children.
• Views differ. Opinions on strikes vary widely in France, from strong support to frustration. Avoid assuming what colleagues or neighbours think.