French Health Sector Unions announce strike over budget cuts

In France, the four main health sector unions—CGT, FO, Sud, and Unsa—have announced a strike from November 4 to December 21 in response to the planned reduction of the health budget for 2025, Azernews reports citing foreign media.

The ongoing public budget crisis in France has sparked widespread protests within the health sector, echoing discontent across various fields. Concerns are particularly focused on the cancellation of hospital beds, which has compounded budgetary issues.

According to the French Hospital Federation (FHF), the increase in health expenditure allocated to the hospital sector will be limited to just 3.1%, significantly below the 6% level deemed necessary by healthcare professionals. Workers are vocal about the reduction in patient beds, which is contributing to a growing exodus of specialists from the hospital system.