France, Sept. 29 -- France's eight major public sector unions called the strike to put pressure on the government before Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu unveils the budget on Thursday, after which it will go a debate in parliament.

The unions, which had already rejected the government's initial budget announcements, are calling for pay raises to keep up with inflation. Salaries frozen, again

In mid-September, Lecornu told the Le Figaro newspaper he wanted to once again freeze the index used to calculate civil servants' base pay - a proposal that the unions called "a real provocation".

The index has not moved since July 2023, meaning no pay raises for three straight years, even as inflation has increased.

France cuts growth forecast a...