Lidl workers start indefinite strike in France

Lidl workers across France have begun an indefinite strike today, 7 February, over inadequate wage increases and plans to enforce Sunday openings in all stores.

Organized by five trade unions (including four UNI Global Union affiliates FO, CFDT, CFTC, CGT, as well as CFE), strikers are calling on Lidl to improve working conditions, address understaffing and revise Lidl’s performance targets to ease the excessive pressure on workers.

With around 1,600 stores and over 45,000 employees, Lidl has cemented itself as the largest non-French food retailer in the highly competitive French market. However, despite its continued growth, Lidl has failed to invest adequately in its workforce. Since 2022, the company has reduced its workforce by over 2,200 employees, forcing the remaining staff to take on additional workload amounting to the equivalent of 2 million working hours.

This workforce reduction has led to declining service quality, which directly impacts Lidl’s performance, especially as the retail sector faces a price war. Instead of addressing these structural issues by investing in employees and store operations, Lidl has responded by squeezing workers’ pay checks and imposing higher performance targets. Between 2019 and 2024, salary increases have barely kept up with inflation, while workers in different roles face significant disparities in pay.

The company’s relentless push for efficiency has led to excessive workload and an alarming rise in workplace accidents, particularly in Lidl’s warehouses, where incident rates are already among the worst in the sector. Meanwhile, Lidl’s insistence on expanding Sunday store openings and making Sunday shifts mandatory has met strong opposition from all five unions, who argue that this decision disregards workers’ rights and well-being. Currently, only half of Lidl’s stores operate on Sundays, and for employees hired before 2016, Sunday work remains voluntary.

After months of negotiations, the final round of talks between Lidl management and union representatives on 5 February 2025 ended without an agreement. Frustrated by the company’s refusal to meet their demands, workers have now embarked on a “la grève illimitée” (unlimited strike). While not all workers will strike on the same day, Lidl stores across France will see rolling strikes in the coming days and weeks. In addition to store closures, demonstrations and actions are planned to amplify workers’ demands.

“UNI Global Union stands in solidarity with Lidl workers in France as they demand decent salaries and the right to rest on Sundays. Affordable prices must not come at the cost of workers’ livelihoods and well-being. We urge Lidl to reconsider, respect workers and return to the negotiating table with unions,” said Mathias Bolton, Head of UNI’s Commerce sector.