Yet another Christmas threatened by strikes at the SNCF? A large-scale social movement was feared just a few days ago, recalling bad memories of the disruptions of 2022 which impacted more than 200,000 travelers. Fortunately for users, if it is not completely ruled out, the risk of strike seems to be receding one month before the end-of-year holidays. The railway workers’ unions are divided during salary negotiations with management: the national inter-union announced on Thursday, November 23, that it was being put on hold, even though it had allowed the unity of the movement against pension reform.
In the rail sector, the CGT, Sud Rail, CFDT-Cheminots and Unsa Ferroviaire had until Wednesday evening, midnight, to jointly sign the agreement proposed by the SNCF on the increase in wages. The company’s proposal calls for an increase of 4.6% in 2024, including a 1.8% increase overall. SNCF is also committed to increasing the lowest salaries, as well as paying a value-sharing bonus of 400 euros to the group’s 140,000 railway workers.
An agreement signed by only half of the unions
Only the CFDT-Cheminots and the Unsa-Ferroviaire approved the agreement proposed by the SNCF, which was therefore not signed by the other unions. From now on, only Sud Rail continues to cast doubt, and calls on X (formerly Twitter) to “reopen negotiations to avoid the strike”. For him, the proposed agreement is sorely lacking in “measures to catch up with the inflation suffered in 2023, which therefore reflects a further decline in the purchasing power of railway workers”. The union is still asking for a gross increase of 400 euros on the salaries of all railway workers, explained its delegate Fabien Villedieu, on Europe 1 last week.
However, the scenario of disruptions at Christmas has not been completely ruled out. Like Sud Rail, the CGT-Cheminots wishes to continue negotiations, describing management’s proposals as “indecent and contemptuous in view of the accumulated salary dispute”. Together, the two organizations account for 57% of the union votes. And there is also nothing to ensure that the agreement will not be applied by SNCF in its entirety, if it is not signed by all of the organizations. At the beginning of December, a switchers’ strike could also disrupt the smooth running of trains.