Have you already booked your tickets for the Easter vacations and May bank holidays? If so, you may be in for some unpleasant surprises at the end of the road – well, at the end of the station. According to exclusive information from Le Parisien, SNCF ticket inspectors are threatening to go on strike. We take stock.
The SNCF strike that could derail spring vacations
Over the past few days, comments have been rife about the new design of the TGV M, to be introduced on the future Paris-Lyon-Marseille line. While its innovations are a credit to the SNCF (such as carriages adapted for people with reduced mobility), there’s been some last-minute news that could make matters worse. At the request of train controllers and their national collective, Sud Rail has called a strike from April 17 to June 2. Their demand? Better pay. And here’s what Le Parisien reports in detail.
A train strike for Easter and the May bridges? Advance notice given
Already heavily mobilized over the 2022 holiday season, train controllers have their sights set on the spring vacation weekends and May bridges. At the SNCF, the Sud Rail union has filed a strike notice for the weekends from April 17 to June 2, and more specifically from Thursday 7pm to Monday 8am. Interviewed by Le Parisien, Olivier, one of the union’s leaders warns, “Our management is turning a deaf ear.” He continues: “We’re going to hit hard, where it hurts!”
Controllers demand a pay rise
But we’re speaking in the conditional. For the time being, the strike has not been confirmed, and only a notice period has been mentioned. A notice, admittedly, but one that needs to be taken seriously. For the moment, dialogue is the order of the day. “Not all notice periods will have an impact on travel plans for passengers (…) There have already been notice periods in recent months, but these have not had any impact,” the SNCF is keen to point out. In other words, for the time being, we’re talking about a warning… The Sud Rail union organization is nevertheless demanding a “minimum 100 euro monthly” increase in the work bonus, as well as “respect for collective working hours.” But then: will the controllers make good on their threat? Will passengers suffer during their train journeys over the Easter vacations and May bank holidays? Watch this space (very closely).