Their grievances are disparate and diverse but one thing they have in common is that they are planning to mobilise in the coming weeks, meaning that France may be in for a 'winter of discontent'.
Rail strikes
The main rail unions have called for an unlimited strike from December 11th that could disrupt train services during the upcoming Christmas holidays.
The unions have called for a moratorium on the dismantling of SNCF subsidiary Fret SNCF on January 1st – which bosses plan to replace with two other subsidiary firms – and are also protesting against the opening up of regional rail services in France to competition.
The inter-union group, which includes the CGT, the Unsa, Sud-Rail, and the CFDT Cheminots, are demanding concrete responses after the conciliation meeting ended without satisfactory results.
However, it remains unclear how well supported the walkout will be. Previously, rail unions called for a one-day strike on November 21st, but participation was low.
Consequences for traffic will only be known 48 hours before the strike starts - a previous one-day strike in November resulted in minor disruption that was limited to local train lines.
READ MORE: French rail staff plan 'unlimited' strikes from December 11th
Farmer protests
In November, French farmers started their 'round 2' of protests - nine months after they brought parts of the country to a standstill with roadblocks and blockades.
These protests were largely in opposition to the EU's proposed Mercosur deal with South American countries, which France has opposed.
Farmers have also pushed back against what they see as broken promises by the French government over more help and support for farmers, as well as calls for a simplification of lengthy admin procedures.
Regarding the rest of the winter, the largest farming union, FNSEA, announced plans for more mobilisations on December 9th and 10th 'all over France'.
The head of the union, Arnaud Rousseau, told RMC that the new wave of protests would focus on "income and the price of our products, particularly in the context of negotiations with distributors. So we will be in action."
Farmers were able to obtain some commitments form the Barnier government - which fell in a vote of no-confidence on December 4th. As such, Rousseau told the French press he was concerned that this could mean "farmers are starting from scratch again."
Ports and docks
The CGT union for port and dock workers has called for walk outs on December 9th and 10th, in a two-day strike against pension reform.
The union claims that they received assurances from the president and former minister of transport (Clément Beaune) that the reform would not be applied to them.
Dockworkers are also seeking government response to exposure to asbestos and arduous working conditions, as well as a €10 billion investment to develop ports.
In addition to the two-day strike, the CGT union is also calling for more walkouts over a 10-day period in January, with hopes of abolishing 'exceptional shifts' at the start of the new year.
Typically strike action in this sector impacts commercial ports rather than ferry ports, though check with your operator before departure.
Supermarkets and private sector workers
The supermarket giant Auchan has announced plans to drastically cut its workforce and close some stores. It comes as other big French employers including the Michelin tyre company and Vencorex chemical works also announce job losses.
In response the CGT union has called for a 'national day of action' on December 12th against 'plant closures and redundancy plans'.
It is currently unclear exactly what the impact of this will be, but the union is calling for a moratorium on redundancies, though CGT head Sophie Binet has called on workers to walk out and demonstrate in front of factories and préfectures.
Medical laboratories
Four unions representing staff at medical labs are currently involved in tense negotiations about the reimbursement rate from the state. They have threatened a shut down of labs between December 23rd and 31st if the negotiations do not bear fruit.
Civil servants
Unions representing civil servants went on strike on December 5th in protest at spending cuts for government offices. The action was supported by all but one of the main unions and led to flight cancellations, school closures, as well as disruption at some government offices such as préfectures.
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