Decathlon workers to strike in France as unions join forces

A cross-union group is calling for a major strike at Decathlon stores across France on Saturday (June 6), set to cause disruption and potentially lead to some store closures.

The action, calling for higher wages for employees across the board, is being backed by the CFDT, CFTC, CGT, CFE-CGC, and Unsa unions.

It is the first time the unions have come together to call for a general strike of workers at the sports retailer.

If you are planning to shop at Decathlon this weekend , try and visit on an alternative day (Friday or Sunday) or contact your local store directly to see if their Saturday hours are affected.

One of France’s biggest and most-loved companies

"Profits are piling up... employee power is shrinking! On June 6, let's mobilize for our purchasing power,” says a leaflet promoted by the inter-union group regarding the strike action. 

The current economic climate is one of the main causes of the planned mobilisation. 

Employees are frustrated by the rising cost of living – including food and petrol following the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East – and believe salaries no longer adequately compensate.

Decathlon recorded record profits in 2025, roughly 16% higher than the year before. 

It increased prices around 2.4% year-on-year in May 2026, keeping roughly in line with predicted current inflation due to the conflict.

The store is part of the Mulliez group that also operates chains including the Auchan supermarket, Leroy Merlin, and Boulanger. Decathlon alone operates 1,900 stores worldwide and employs nearly 100,000 globally. 

In 2023 and 2024, it sold more than a billion products per year.

Unions believe these rising profits should be distributed more evenly among French workers, particularly given the country’s love affair with the brand. 

It consistently ranks among France’s favourite brands and is seen as a national commercial success story, rising from a single store in Lille to becoming the world’s largest sporting goods retailer and official partner of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Are more strikes on the way? 

Unions have so far only confirmed June 6 as a strike day at Decathlon stores, but further action is possible – and this may not be limited to the sports retailer.

The cost of living is impacting employees across France, and they may start demanding wage increases to compensate.

The major factor behind the economic downturn is the surprise start of the conflict between the US/Israel and Iran at the end of February 2026, which sent shockwaves across the globe.

Alongside impacting travel (both flying and driving), the prolonged impact of the Strait of Hormuz closing has led to inflation increasing sharply, increasing by around 2.4% between May 2025 - May 2026.

In particular, household goods and energy prices have risen at a far greater rate than the previous couple of years.

For many employees, issues are compounded by the fact that annual negotiations on salaries – France operates a form of collective bargaining, where in most cases unions negotiate on behalf of all employees even if they are not part of unions – took place in late 2025 / early 2026. 

At this time, the low inflation of 2025 – around 1% across the year – was expected to remain stable, with almost all groups and experts agreeing on this. 

In turn, annual negotiations did not see unions push for major wage increases, as the consensus was another year of small but stable growth was on the way. 

Several months after the outbreak of the conflict however, and with many months to go until groups get back to the table to hash out new agreements, workers are getting restless over costs that continue to rise even as wages stay the same.

Some economists are now even predicting a recession in the latter half of 2026, further compounding anxiety for employees.