The ongoing debate over the "agent rate" continues to create tension in France, as energy sector workers threaten a major strike on October 6 to protect their current benefits. This rate, which allows certain employees in the energy sector to pay significantly less for electricity and gas than the average consumer, costs the state approximately 381 million euros annually. The inter-union group representing these workers has already staged a large-scale strike on September 15 in response to the government's proposal to revise the rate. Since then, they have met with officials at Bercy, the French Ministry of Finance, and are demanding a meeting with the government at Matignon, the official residence of the French prime minister, by October 2 to discuss the issue with Energy Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The government has stated that the revision of the agent rate is being considered following a warning from the Court of Auditors, an independent body that audits public spending. However, the government has emphasized that abolishing the rate is not under consideration. According to the deputy minister for Energy, Maud Bregeon, the decision on the rate will be made through a ministerial decree. Despite repeated calls for a meeting and clarification from union leaders, the government has not provided any response or sign of engagement, according to union representatives. Alexandre Grillat, general secretary of the CFE Energies, and Fabrice Coudour, general secretary of the FNME-CGT, the largest union in the sector, have criticized the lack of communication from the government. They warn that if no resolution is reached, electricians and gas workers may demonstrate their ability to disrupt the system through strikes. While they are not seeking a "strike rate" — a term used to describe a financial incentive for striking — they are prepared to show that a strike could still have an impact on the energy supply. The Court of Auditors estimates that the agent rate costs the state an average of 381 million euros annually between 2018 and 2024 for EDF SA, the main electricity company. It also notes that beneficiaries of the rate now pay less than 2% of the average electricity or gas tariffs paid by consumers. However, this figure is contested by some unionists, who argue that the rate is around 10% of the average household rate and is part of the modest wages received by electricians and gas workers.