This French strike vocabulary may come handy when you listen to the French radio, or read news about strikes in France.
In this article youâll find a list of French English strike vocabulary, as well as useful informations about strikes in France.
1 â French Strike Vocabulary
- Une grĂšve â a strike â strangely, itâs also a fancy word for a shore (usually, we say âune plageâ â a beach)
- Les grĂšves â strikes
- Une grĂšve gĂ©nĂ©rale â a strike followed by most unions around the same claims
- Une grĂšve surprise â Strikers are supposed to give a notice before they strike in France. Itâs not always the case though.
- Une grĂšve sauvage â a strike organised by the workers without the unions
- Faire la grĂšve â to be on strike
- Ătre en grĂšve â to be on strike
- Un / une grĂ©viste â someone who is on strike (note the change of direction of the accent over the âeâ)
- Un piquet de grĂšve â someone who takes a stand and blocks the entry to a workplace / tries to block the working process
- Le droit de grĂšve â the right to be on strike
- Un prĂ©avis de grĂšve â strike notice (French public sector unions must give 5 days notice before going on strike)
2 â Strikes in France â Unions
- Un syndicat â union
- Un reprĂ©sentant, un Ă©lu syndical â union representative
- Un dĂ©lĂ©guĂ© â a delegate
- Une action sociale â solidarity measures
- Le dialogue social â social dialog
- RĂ©soudre un conflit â to solve a conflict

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3 â French Protest Vocabulary
- Une manifestation â a demonstration, protest march
- Une manif â say the f â slang for âmanifestationâ
- Un manifestant, une manifestante â someone who walks in a protest
- Un dĂ©filĂ©, un cortĂšge â an organised walk
- Une opĂ©ration escargot â a French expression describing a sort of protest when trucks block the highways by driving on all the lanes and very slowly.
4 â French Strike Police
- Les CRS â âCompagnies RĂ©publicaines de SĂ©curitĂ©â â police specialised in crowd control
- âCRS : SSâ â a very famous slogan that is often heard during demonstrations and strikes in France
- Les forces de lâordre â police
- La police â police
- Un policier, une policiĂšre â police officer
- Un casseur â slang â someone looking for trouble in a riot, literally âbreakersâ
- SĂ©quester â to hold captive
- Prendre en otage â to take as an hostage
5 â French Strikes â Workers and Employers
- Un travailleur, une travailleuse â a worker
- Un ouvrier / une ouvriĂšre â a blue-collar worker
- Un employĂ© / une employĂ©e â a white-collar worker
- Un emploi â a job
- Un boulot â a job (slang)
- Travailler â to work
- Bosser â to work (slang)
- Un patron â a boss (often used in factories)
- Un boss â a boss (yes the French often use the English word)
- Un employeur â a job provider, boss
6 â French Strikes Claims
- Un salaire â a salary
- Une indĂ©mnitĂ©, une indĂ©mnisation â compensation
- Les avantages sociaux â benefits
- Les conditions de travail â work environment / conditions
- La retraite â retirement
- Les heures supplĂ©mentaires â overtime
- Les congĂ©s payĂ©s â paid leave
- Une revendication â demand, claim
- La prĂ©caritĂ© de lâemploi â job insecurity
- Un licenciement â layoff
- La compression de personnel â staff reduction
- Le chĂŽmage â unemployment
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