France teachers strike over 2026 job cuts and payroll reforms

France's education ministry plans to cut 3,256 teaching posts in the 2026 budget – 1,891 in primary schools and 1,365 in secondary schools. Five unions (FSU, UNSA, CFDT, CGT, SUD) have called for a week of mobilisation from 30 March to 3 April, with a national strike day on 31 March, expecting about 30 % of teachers to walk out.

The strike is also driven by concerns over a new payroll format introduced in May 2026, which unions say adds confusing deductions and obscures net pay, and a new administrative reference for school heads that expands managerial duties without clear resources. Together, job cuts, pay‑sheet changes and added bureaucratic load are fueling unrest among teachers and school directors across France.