Train drivers and controllers are planning to strike between 5 May and 11 May – a period that includes a holiday weekend. Rail workers are protesting over wages and scheduling issues.
Train controllers at France’s national rail company, SNCF, are planning to strike on 9, 10 and 11 May, following a call from Sud-Rail union, while drivers will strike from 7 May. The CGT-Cheminots, SNCF’s largest union, has urged workers to mobilise starting on Monday, 5 May.
Drivers and train controllers are protesting the implementation of new scheduling software, which, according to Sud Rail, "constantly changes, without prior notice, at the last minute" the working weeks of staff.
In response, SNCF has promised to provide six months’ advance notice for rest days, but unions are demanding more clarity on daily work schedules as well.
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Unions also argue that wage increases offered by SNCF – averaging 2.2 percent for 2025 – fall short. The company refutes this, saying "it fulfilled its obligations in recent negotiations".
The train controllers are demanding a €100 increase per month in the work bonus and the securing of this bonus.
Industrial action at SNCF has repeatedly disrupted travel during school holidays.
In February last year, train controllers went on strike during a holiday weekend, leaving 150,000 people stranded. A Christmas strike in December 2022 affected some 200,000 travellers.
Competition
Ticket cancellations for 8 May have surged to 50 percent above average, according to booking platform Kombo. Many passengers have switched to alternative travel options in case of train cancellations, such as carpooling or buses.
Italian rail operator Trenitalia is also emerging as a key beneficiary. Competing with SNCF on the Paris–Lyon journey, it has seen a 20 percent increase in ticket sales for 8 May.
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Trenitalia is also launching four daily high-speed trains between Paris and Marseille from mid-June, with second-class fares beginning at €27 – directly targeting SNCF’s low-cost company, Ouigo.
(with newswires)
