November 10th strike in Education: Nathanaël Combary expresses his incomprehension

A new day of strike and demonstrations is announced on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 in National Education, Higher Education and Research. This call, published on Saturday 7 November, is reported by La Dépêche du Midi, franceinfo and 20 Minutes. He provoked a reserved reaction from Nathanaël Combary of the High School Renewal: "I don't really understand this call," he says on BFMTV. This difference does not in itself lead to the conclusion that all claims are rejected. [S1] [S2] [S3] [S4]

Mobilization to influence discussions

Organizations call on youth and staff to participate in strikes, demonstrations and rallies. According to franceinfo, inter-union youth includes USL, Student Union, Unef, Fage, ESF and Student Solidarity. The media also mentions regional trade union unions. Their stated aim is to keep the pressure on the government, and they are still waiting for answers about the salaries and careers of education staff. [S2] [S3]

Reporting converges on wage claims, but provides additional insights. The Newspaper stresses the role of the public service in negotiations. Franceinfo details campus reviews. For its part, 20 Minutes reports that the organizations describe the day of 5 November as "undoubted success". This assessment is based on their reading of the balance of power, not on a finding shared by all actors. [S2] [S3] [S4]

Will the public service be fully involved?

The calendar is central: the strike is announced for the day after the social conference scheduled for Monday 9 November in Matignon. According to the government statement reported by franceinfo, this meeting with trade unions and employers must provide answers on purchasing power and wages. The Minister of Labour, Jean-Pierre Farandou, is responsible for finalising the preliminary consultations. [S5]

However, the inter-union is concerned that the public service will remain outside this conference. The News Agency reports an explicitly conditional warning: "If this is confirmed, it is a new provocation. It would therefore be premature to present this exclusion as acquired. In addition, Matignon indicates that David Amiel, Minister of Action and Public Accounts, continues his discussions with representatives of public officials. The existence of these discussions, however, does not clarify their relationship with the Monday conference. [S2] [S5]

A high school reserve whose motives remain poorly documented

Nathanaël Combary's statement points to a difference in position with regard to this new call. But the accessible textual elements of the BFMTV sequence do not detail its reasoning. They do not make it possible to establish whether it contests the date chosen, the union strategy or the objectives of the mobilisation. To give him a general opposition to the strike, or to deduce the opinion of all high school students, would go beyond the information available. [S1]

Freedom invoked, charges to be distinguished from established facts

The challenge also concerns conditions for mobilization in universities. The organisations cited by franceinfo denounce violations of university franchises and campus administrative closures which they consider to be abusive and without a regulatory framework. These qualifications are those of trade unions. The article does not provide the relevant administrative decisions or a detailed response from the authorities to assess their justification or proportionality. [S3]

Another uncertainty for students, students, families and staff remains: the concrete magnitude of the day of November 10. The publications consulted establish the existence of the appeal, but do not provide detailed forecasts of participation or lists of institutions affected. It is therefore not possible to announce a general interruption of courses. At this stage, a distinction must be made between the decision of the organizations to initiate mobilization and the effective participation of the persons concerned. [S2] [S3] [S4]