French railway workers warn of rolling strikes over government rail reforms

Trade unions at France's state-owned railway company, SNCF, after an initial strike on November 21, are set to begin another one in mid-December. 

The unions are protesting the proposed dismantling of freight operations and the liberalisation of regional rail services, Caliber.Az reports citing French media.

Following a one-day strike on November 21, the four unions — CGT-Cheminots, Unsa-Ferroviaire, Sud-Rail, and CFDT-Cheminots — announced plans for indefinite strike action starting December 11.

Sébastien Mourgues, regional secretary of CGT Languedoc Roussillon, voiced the unions’ frustrations: “There is a lot of anger and frustration. Some of us are ready to fight, we are feeling pretty low,” he said. “We are sounding the alarm and we want real negotiations,” Mourgues added that the unions have made several proposals and are calling for a parliamentary debate to ensure decisions are not made unilaterally.

While unions are hoping for significant participation, SNCF has stated that high-speed TGV services will operate as usual, though disruptions are expected on regional lines, with seven out of ten TER trains running. Intercity services are expected to see major impacts, with only half of trains in operation and no night trains. In the Paris region (Ile-de-France), disruptions will be limited to the RER D and Transilien line R, primarily affecting the Sud-Rail strongholds.

The unions have criticized the ongoing restructuring of the railway system, particularly the "fragmentation" of the network. Julien Troccaz, federal secretary of Sud-Rail, voiced concern over the future of SNCF's freight sector. “Our colleagues don’t know what’s going to happen on January 1. They know they’ll be working for private companies, but they don’t know what their social rights are,” he stated.

In 2023, the European Commission launched an investigation into whether France violated EU state aid rules by subsidizing SNCF's freight division. As part of restructuring efforts, France plans to split its top rail freight company into two separate entities — Hexafret and Technis — set to launch in January. This move follows negotiations between the French government and the European Commission to prevent the company’s liquidation, which would have impacted 5,000 employees. Unions are calling for a moratorium to allow time for further discussions and to ensure the continuity and long-term development of freight services.

Another major issue for the unions is the opening of regional rail lines to competition. Mourgues warns that privatisation will result in SNCF staff being transferred to subsidiaries, leading to lower working conditions for railway workers. Starting December 14, around 1,200 workers from SNCF Voyageurs will be transferred to regional operators after the companies win tenders for the TER market. Although the workers will retain some benefits, their working hours will be reorganised to increase productivity.

“The railway workers are very aware that these structural changes are not heading in the right direction,” said Thomas Cavel, general secretary of CFDT-Cheminots.

SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou defended the reforms, stating that the process had been underway for years and social negotiations were progressing. "The French public would not understand a long and hard strike in December," he said in a recent interview with one of the French newspapers.

The current labour dispute echoes previous tensions under President Emmanuel Macron’s government. In 2018, Macron’s overhaul of SNCF, which stripped employees of job-for-life guarantees and pension benefits, sparked massive strikes.

Although the unions failed to derail the reforms, industrial action has continued to disrupt travel during peak periods, including major transport strikes in February and a Christmas strike in 2022 that affected thousands of holidaymakers.

By Tamilla Hasanova