Civil servant unions demand rapid pay rises from Michel Barnier

The eight unions representing the civil service asked Michel Barnier on Friday 13 September to suspend the latest pension reform and to proceed “quickly” to salary increases, in a joint letter to the new Prime Minister. “We want all public sector employees to see their salaries increase quickly”write the CGT, FO, CFDT, Unsa, FSU, Solidaires, CFE-CGC and FA-FP.

After more than ten years of freezing the index point, the government had increased it by 3.5% in 2022 and 1.5% in 2023. These increases were deemed insufficient by the unions, in a context where average inflation hovered around 5% in 2022 and 2023. The unions are also calling for the “maintaining a full ministry for the civil service” in the future government, rather than a simple delegated ministry or secretariat of state.

This is a condition for them “essential” but not “sufficient” has “a quality social dialogue in order to respond to the challenges of public services [du] country and the expectations of 5.5 million public sector employees”. Appointed Prime Minister on September 5, Michel Barnier has pledged to have his government formed by next week.