Strike at the SNCF: Will there be trains at Christmas? “We are doing everything for it” assures President Jean-Pierre Farandou

The day of mobilization at the SNCF this Thursday, November 21 could only be a trial run for a larger-scale movement in December. Indeed, the four SNCF unions have filed a strike notice for a renewable and unlimited movement from December 11 which does not bode well for the Christmas holidays. The question then arises, as Thomas Sotto did this morning on RTL: “Will there be trains at Christmas?” “We do everything for” replied SNCF president Jean-Pierre Farandou.

“The French don't want this strike at Christmas and we understand them. And there is no reason for it”, he insists before detailing the measures announced, particularly for salaries. “We have proposed a 2.2% increase in average remuneration for 2027, it is better than inflation, we have increased our minimum wages which are already 10% above the minimum wage”details the boss of the SNCF who also announces promotions to improve career ends.

The union representatives believe that the discussions have only just begun and that there is more than a month before Christmas, enough to increase the pressure for salary negotiations with the threat of a blockage. The president wishes him to believe in the quality of the “dialogue social” to avoid the strike.

Indeed, the railway workers' demands also concern the dismantling of the SNCF freight subsidiary, recalls FranceInfo which explains that “The leading rail freight company in France will disappear on January 1, 2025 to be reborn in the form of two separate companies, called Hexafret for freight transport and Technis for locomotive maintenance”. Their grievances also relate to the privatization of regional lines, the TER, Transilien and other Intercités.