2026 wage talks: SUD hasn’t lost its north

On September 17, management held the second meeting of the mandatory annual negotiation (NAO) cycle on wages and working time. This provided an opportunity for management to respond to the union demands made in June, and for the unions to advocate for the need to secure improvements for all staff categories in 2027.

Due to a boycott by several unions, the meeting was held in a smaller format, with only the CFE-CGC and SUD present. However, this did not prevent both sides (unions and management) from engaging in constructive dialogue.

Unsurprisingly, management rejected all demands formulated by unions concerning a general wage increase, citing the Agency’s financial situation and the risks to jobs.

Management, however, confirmed that it would respect its obligations under the workplace agreement regarding automatic promotions for certain employee categories. As for exceptional bonuses, it announced its intention to allocate a budget for 2026 (bonuses to be paid in March 2027) comparable to that of 2024 (approximately €300,000). As a reminder, no exceptional bonuses were paid in 2026 for 2025.

SUD reiterated its demand for the opening of negotiations on a multi-year plan to restore purchasing power. According to our calculations, employees have lost approximately 13% of their purchasing power since 2018. We emphasized that current situation of wage stagnation cannot continue indefinitely without undermining the motivation of staff.

In the end, management accepted only two demands:
• a 10% increase in mileage allowances (request from SUD),
• an increase in the sustainable mobility allowance from €100 to €120 (demand put forward by the CGT and SNJ unions).

Management stated that the increase in the sustainable mobility allowance was part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.

As for the increase in mileage allowances, it addresses a long-standing demand from SUD, which has become even more pressing given the current sharp rise in fuel prices. It primarily concerns employees based outside major cities who use their personal vehicles to travel to assignments, but also freelancers who are now hesitant to accept certain long-distance assignments due to the gap between the expenses incurred and their current mileage rates. This announced increase is therefore a positive development that benefits both employees and AFP’s coverage.

Better compensation for weekends and on-call duty

Management heard one of the arguments put forward by SUD during the meeting: when nothing changes for several years, demotivation takes hold. Management said it will therefore consider SUD’s request to establish a bonus for Saturday work, modelled on the existing Sunday work allowance of €10. Management also indicated that they would consider increasing on-call pay, after SUD emphasized that these constraints on personal life should be given greater consideration.

SUD considers better compensation for weekend work an important issue as some employees are being called upon to work more weekends due to understaffing. Management acknowledged the number of weekends worked is an issue if not a problem, even if refused our request to introduce a limit during the separate renegotiation of the accord on professional equality and quality of life at work.

Even though these measures are modest and fall far short of the demands for a general wage increase, they should not be ignored.

SUD will continue to fight for a genuine wage catch-up and, true to its principles, our union will continue to negotiate at every opportunity to obtain new benefits. We will sign agreements with even incremental improvements to the lives of employees, provided that other benefits are not sacrificed in the process. SUD remains steadfast: we will always be there to defend the interests of employees.

Paris, September 22, 2026

SUD-AFP (Solidarity-Unity-Democracy)