French Public Workers Strike Over Pay and Budget
Listen to the story
Public workers in France went on strike on 29 September. A strike means people stop working to show they are angry.
They wanted the government to give them better pay. They also wanted to change the new national budget. A budget is a plan for spending money.
More than 170 protests happened across France. A protest is when many people meet to show they disagree with something.
The workers are called civil servants. Civil servants work for the government, like teachers, nurses, and police.
The government has stopped raising their salaries. A salary is the money a person gets for their job.
This is called a wage freeze. A wage freeze means salaries stay the same and do not go up.
Workers say they are very angry now. One person said, 'The rope is close to breaking.' This means people cannot stay calm much longer.
The strike was organized by unions. A union is a group that helps workers ask for better conditions.
Many workers joined the marches in cities. They want the government to listen to them.
The government is now making next year's budget. Workers hope it will include more money for salaries.
Vocabulary7 words
- strike
- when workers stop working to protest
- budget
- a plan for spending money
- protests
- when people meet to show they disagree
- civil servants
- people who work for the government
- salaries
- money paid for work
- wage freeze
- when pay stays the same and does not go up
- unions
- groups that help workers
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Quiz
Answer key
1. To ask for better salaries 2. More than 170 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Public workers in France went on _____ on 29 September.
They wanted the government to give them better _____.
They also wanted to change the new national _____.
More than 170 _____ happened across France.
The workers are called _____. They work for the government.
The government has stopped raising their _____.
This is called a _____. Pay stays the same.
The strike was organized by _____.
Many workers joined the _____ in cities.
The government is now making next year's _____.
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