The unions will not be marching hand in hand on Labour Day this year, marking a return to division after last year’s united march, which was heavily influenced by the protest against pension reform

Nevertheless, the CGT, FSU and Solidaires have jointly called for demonstrations across France on 1 May, highlighting demands such as the fight against austerity, job protection and higher wages.

The CFDT is also inviting people to join the processions being organised across the country, with a particular focus on a more ambitious Europe that protects workers. General Secretary Marylise Léon will be present in Nancy.

For its part, FO will be marching according to its own positions and demands, with its leader, Frédéric Souillot, demonstrating in Montauban, in the Occitanie region. Unsa will be mobilising around the fall in purchasing power and the stigmatisation of the unemployed and the most disadvantaged.

A variety of demands will mark this year’s May Day trade union marches

Pro-Palestinian movements could join the processions, while anti-Olympic slogans could be chanted to denounce the conditions in which the Olympic Games are being prepared and the inadequate pay of the civil servants involved. In addition, some farmers could organise targeted actions, as their protest movement has not been extinguished, according to a source close to the Ministry of the Interior who spoke to H24 MEDIA.

In 2023, the eight main trade unions (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires, FSU) marched together, marking a historic day. This was the 13th inter-union day of action against pension reform, and went well beyond the traditional May Day framework. Despite tensions running high at times, the demonstrations drew nearly 800,000 people, according to police figures, compared with around 116,000 in 2022 and an average of around 130,000 in previous years. The CGT, for its part, estimated that there would be 2.3 million demonstrators in 2023, compared with 210,000 in 2022.