An inter-union coalition comprising nine organisations representing firefighters and staff in the sector has announced a large-scale industrial action, described as “the biggest the profession has ever seen”, following a meeting deemed disappointing with the Minister for the Interior, Laurent Nuñez on Thursday 13 August. The unions have criticised the lack of concrete responses and warned that the emergency services system in France is at breaking point.
Urgent calls for civil protection
Firefighters are calling for “mass recruitment” of professional staff, as well as administrative and technical staff. Their demands also include a Civil Protection Modernisation Act, more resources to protect staff health, and the opening of negotiations on their working conditions. Xavier Boy, spokesperson for the inter-union group, emphasised: “We are not asking for privileges for ourselves; we are asking for the resources needed to protect French citizens.”
He added that firefighters “cannot indefinitely make up for the shortcomings of a system that has reached breaking point”, going so far as to warn that, for certain call-outs, “we are reaching the limit of our ability to come to your aid”. These statements come at a time when the forest fires and other emergency response operations are placing an ever-increasing demand on the departmental fire and rescue services (SDIS).
A multi-stage campaign
The trade unions have organised static rallies at Place de la République in Paris on 26, 27 and 28 September, ahead of a national demonstration for the civil service on 29 September. This mobilisation is part of a wider protest movement against working conditions and the resources allocated to the emergency services.
Announcements promised by the government
In response to this criticism, Laurent Nuñez gave an assurance that a draft bill to modernise civil protection would be presented to the fire service “in early September”. The bill aims, in particular, to “better define the fire service’s remit so that they can focus on their core duties”. The minister also stated that the conclusions of the parliamentary inquiry launched by Sébastien Lecornu on the forest fire prevention, which are expected in late September, would enhance this bill.
Furthermore, Laurent Nuñez has promised that discussions on the funding of the SDIS will lead “swiftly and tangibly” to an increase in their resources in the 2027 Finance Bill. However, these announcements fall short of the trade unions’ expectations, as they are calling for immediate measures to tackle the current crisis.