France faces major rail disruptions in early May due to union strikes

France is bracing for widespread rail disruptions in early May as unions representing staff at the national railway, SNCF, have announced new strike action.

The strikes are set to coincide with the long weekend surrounding the May 8 national holiday, one of the busiest travel periods of the year, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The CGT-Cheminots, SNCF’s largest union, has called for an indefinite strike starting May 5. Meanwhile, Sud-Rail, which represents a significant number of train conductors, has planned walkouts on May 7, 9, 10, and 11.

The unions are pushing for better compensation for train drivers, specifically requesting an increase in bonuses for drivers, even during sick leave or other absences. They are also calling for a simplification of the bonus pay structure. Sud-Rail, which represents about 33% of SNCF’s train drivers, claims that all their demands have been rejected so far.

Speaking to the media, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot warned that May could be a challenging month for commuters. He emphasised that users would need prompt information to plan their travel. "Some unions do not seem willing to move towards a settlement," Tabarot stated, calling on the unions to "see reason" and resume negotiations.

Tabarot noted that each day of strike action costs SNCF €10 million in lost investment and stressed that such disruptions could further delay much-needed improvements to France’s transport infrastructure. "We are not investing enough," he said, adding that continued strikes could have very serious consequences for the railway system.

Despite the tensions, Tabarot expressed hope that the unions would engage in fruitful negotiations with SNCF management, led by President Jean-Pierre Farandou and CEO Christophe Fanichet, to avoid the planned strikes. "I trust SNCF to determine what is fair and what is not fair in terms of the demands," he said.

In response, SNCF Voyageurs indicated that it had not received formal notification from Sud-Rail regarding the planned strike by controllers on May 7. However, it reiterated its commitment to social dialogue and compliance with the rules, which it said the unions are well aware of.

By Tamilla Hasanova