Rail workers to protest in France, possible strike coming soon

Hundreds of rail workers in France will gather in front of the office of the newly appointed ministry of transport François Durovray, in Paris, to protest against the restructuring of Fret SNCF. Moreover, two trade unions are calling for a strike on 1 October.

The workers that will manifest in Paris are affiliated with four rail trade unions: CGT, SUD-Rail, UNSA-Ferroviaire and CFDT. The first two are the ones also calling for a strike next Tuesday. Their demands include an end to the restructuring of Fret SNCF and better salaries. Moreover, they are asking for the annulment of the ‘Macron’ pension reform and for the cancellation of a savings plan proposed by SNCF, claiming that it would cause “deterioration in working conditions and safety”.

Fret SNCF will undergo significant changes as of 2025 by being divided into two companies, one for operations and one for maintenance. This decision was taken by the French government as a means to avoid sanctions from the European Commission due to illegal state aid provided to Fret SNCF. Other than the division, Fret SNCF was banned from combined transport services for 10 years and was forced to give up around 20 per cent of its routes to private operators.