The Sacred Right to Strike

The right to strike in France is constitutionally protected and culturally sacred. Written into the 1946 Constitution and reaffirmed in 1958, it states simply: "The right to strike shall be exercised within the framework of the laws governing it." This brevity masks complex realities. Unlike many countries where strikes require lengthy procedures, French workers can down tools with minimal notice, particularly in the private sector.

This right extends beyond workplace disputes. Political strikes, solidarity strikes, and general strikes protesting government policies are not just legal but expected. The distinction between economic and political action, carefully maintained in Anglo-Saxon labor relations, barely exists in France. When railway workers strike against pension reform, they act simultaneously as employees protecting benefits and citizens opposing government policy.