[France] Viral sharing of salaries and seniority to support striking workers

In France, refinery workers are on strike demanding fairer pay. In a show of online support, ordinary employees across the country are sharing their own salaries, contracts and living conditions, Decatur Metro reports. 

The viral hashtag #BalanceTonSalaire has become a digital show of solidarity. 

Refinery workers at TotalEnergies had reportedly demanded a 10 per cent pay rise to match inflation and company profits. However, management offered them just 3.5 per cent, a figure unions called an insult.

Things escalated when a government minister claimed refinery staff were already earning up to €5,000 per month. Union representatives refuted this, saying the average was closer to €2,300, and topped up with bonuses for challenging night and weekend shifts.

The battle caught the imagination of thousands of French workers who, faced with rising living costs, saw their own struggles reflected in the refinery standoff. That’s when their rallying call reportedly arose on Twitter: #BalanceTonSalaire.

Within days of the hashtag appearing, more than 17,000 tweets had been shared. Teachers, nurses, shop assistants, and civil servants all revealed and compared their earnings. The instant popularity of #BalanceTonSalaire demonstrates how online communities can raise important questions and impact traditional power structures.

Source: Decatur Metro

In France, refinery workers are on strike demanding fairer pay. In a show of online support, ordinary employees across the country are sharing their own salaries, contracts and living conditions, Decatur Metro reports. 

The viral hashtag #BalanceTonSalaire has become a digital show of solidarity. 

Refinery workers at TotalEnergies had reportedly demanded a 10 per cent pay rise to match inflation and company profits. However, management offered them just 3.5 per cent, a figure unions called an insult.

Things escalated when a government minister claimed refinery staff were already earning up to €5,000 per month. Union representatives refuted this, saying the average was closer to €2,300, and topped up with bonuses for challenging night and weekend shifts.

The battle caught the imagination of thousands of French workers who, faced with rising living costs, saw their own struggles reflected in the refinery standoff. That’s when their rallying call reportedly arose on Twitter: #BalanceTonSalaire.

Within days of the hashtag appearing, more than 17,000 tweets had been shared. Teachers, nurses, shop assistants, and civil servants all revealed and compared their earnings. The instant popularity of #BalanceTonSalaire demonstrates how online communities can raise important questions and impact traditional power structures.

Source: Decatur Metro