French firefighters call strike over 'under-staffing and lack of resources'
The nine unions representing French firefighters have called a one-day strike on Thursday over what they say is chronic underfunding and extremely difficult working conditions.
French firefighters have announced a one-day strike on Thursday, protesting chronic underfunding and challenging working conditions, according to nine unions representing them. The strike comes as firefighters tackle one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, with 115,000 hectares burned, including 42,000 hectares in the Gironde wildfire in July.
The nine unions have denounced "major difficulties," such as chronic understaffing and a glaring lack of material resources. Union leaders will meet with the Interior Minister on Thursday afternoon, requesting better funding and a genuine national priority given to the health and safety of personnel. Currently, only 44,000 of France's roughly 250,000 firefighters are full-time professionals, with the rest being volunteers who leave their regular jobs to respond to emergency calls.
Union leader Ludovic Goblet lamented that the system needs to be overhauled, emphasizing the need for more vehicles, equipment, and personnel. While the government has received new vehicles, Goblet argued that these have not increased capacity, as they simply replaced the old ones. Goblet also noted that staffing levels have remained unchanged for about ten years.
The Interior Minister, Jean-Didier Berger, stated that an ongoing dialogue is taking place with union representatives, highlighting France's commitment to civil security efforts.
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