France raises minimum wage 1.6% amid protests
France will raise its minimum wage by 1.6% on December 1, Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou announced on Monday. The increase will bring the full-time minimum wage to €1,502 net per month.
Speaking after talks with unions and employers, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the increase "is not enough" but "launches a cycle of discussions on wage increases." He also unveiled plans for a broader tax relief reform and said employers wanted the government to keep labor costs from rising and help companies stay competitive. The announcement followed weeks of protests that began in French high schools in September and grew into a nationwide movement demanding higher wages and better public services.
Protest turnout peaked on November 5, when France's Interior Ministry counted 575,000 demonstrators nationwide, and the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union put the figure at nearly 1.6 million.
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