French Strike Vocabulary

This French strike vocabulary may come handy when you listen to the French radio, or read news about strikes in France.

In this article you’ll find a list of French English strike vocabulary, as well as useful informations about strikes in France.

1 – French Strike Vocabulary

1. Une grève – a strike – strangely, it’s also a fancy word for a shore (usually, we say “une plage” – a beach)
2. Les grèves – strikes
3. Une grève générale – a strike followed by most unions around the same claims
4. Une grève surprise – Strikers are supposed to give a notice before they strike in France. It’s not always the case though.
5. Une grève sauvage – a strike organised by the workers without the unions
6. Faire la grève – to be on strike
7. Être en grève – to be on strike
8. Un / une gréviste – someone who is on strike (note the change of direction of the accent over the “e”)
9. Un piquet de grève – someone who takes a stand and blocks the entry to a workplace / tries to block the working process
10. Le droit de grève – the right to be on strike
11. Un préavis de grève – strike notice (French public sector unions must give 5 days notice before going on strike)

2 – Strikes in France – Unions

1. Un syndicat – union
2. Un représentant, un élu syndical – union representative
3. Un délégué – a delegate
4. Une action sociale – solidarity measures
5. Le dialogue social – social dialog
6. Résoudre un conflit – to solve a conflict

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3 – French Protest Vocabulary

1. Une manifestation – a demonstration, protest march
2. Une manif – say the f – slang for “manifestation”
3. Un manifestant, une manifestante – someone who walks in a protest
4. Un défilé, un cortège – an organised walk
5. Une opération escargot – a French expression describing a sort of protest when trucks block the highways by driving on all the lanes and very slowly.

4 – French Strike Police

1. Les CRS – “Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité” – police specialised in crowd control
2. “CRS : SS” – a very famous slogan that is often heard during demonstrations and strikes in France
3. Les forces de l’ordre – police
4. La police – police
5. Un policier, une policière – police officer
6. Un casseur – slang – someone looking for trouble in a riot, literally “breakers”
7. Séquester – to hold captive
8. Prendre en otage – to take as an hostage

5 – French Strikes – Workers and Employers

1. Un travailleur, une travailleuse – a worker
2. Un ouvrier / une ouvrière – a blue-collar worker
3. Un employé / une employée – a white-collar worker
4. Un emploi – a job
5. Un boulot – a job (slang)
6. Travailler – to work
7. Bosser – to work (slang)
8. Un patron – a boss (often used in factories)
9. Un boss – a boss (yes the French often use the English word)
10. Un employeur – a job provider, boss

6 – French Strikes Claims

1. Un salaire – a salary
2. Une indémnité, une indémnisation  – compensation
3. Les avantages sociaux – benefits
4. Les conditions de travail – work environment / conditions
5. La retraite – retirement
6. Les heures supplémentaires – overtime
7. Les congés payés – paid leave
8. Une revendication – demand, claim
9. La précarité de l’emploi – job insecurity
10. Un licenciement – layoff
11. La compression de personnel – staff reduction
12. Le chômage – unemployment