The Public Sector Stronghold

Public sector workers, representing 20% of French employment, maintain much higher unionization rates—around 19% compared to 8% in the private sector. This concentration gives public sector unions disproportionate influence, particularly in transport, education, and healthcare where strikes cause maximum disruption.

The difference reflects both structural factors—job security enabling union activism—and cultural ones. Public sector workers see themselves as serving republican values, not just performing jobs. When teachers strike against education reforms or railway workers protest privatization, they frame actions as defending public service, not just protecting privileges.

This public sector militancy creates tensions. Private sector workers, facing globalization and job insecurity, sometimes resent public sector protections. The divide between protected insiders and precarious outsiders challenges union claims to represent all workers.