Controllers, drivers, commercial agents … to a bridge of May 8, agitated on rails – Liberation

Lack of gesture from the management of the SNCF, Several calls for strike Launched by Sud-Rail and the CGT-Cheminots on issues of remuneration and work organization may disrupt traffic next week. With, in high point, a controller strike which promises to be followed in the middle of the May 8 bridge weekend.

Negotiations that have been held for several weeks to avoid the strike that has not succeeded, « Everyone shows their muscles »summarizes Fabien Villedieu, federal southern secretary, point union in this protest movement.

As of Monday, May 5, the CGT-Cheminots, the first union organization at the SNCF, calls on controllers and drivers to go on strike. The union requests a revaluation of the work premium as well as overhaul of the organization of schedules, too often modified at the last minute according to it. Sud-rail calls for its part of the sales agents to mobilize this same on Monday. As these are agents who answer on the phone or who welcome users in the store, this will have no impact on the circulation of trains.

SNCF Travelers has not yet communicated forecasts for Monday, but according to several union sources or within the group, disturbances should be limited that day, or even non-existent.

The impact on traffic should however be much larger from Friday May 9 and throughout the bridge weekend of May 8. « It promises to be very strong on May 9, 10, 11 for the controllers »warns Fabien Villedieu.

They are also called upon to mobilize on these dates by the National ASCT Collective Influence (CNA), at the origin of the last two major strikes at the SNCF for claims specific to the public enterprise, at Christmas 2022 and in February 2024.

Sud-Rail as the CNA requires better predictability of the schedules as well as an increase of 100 euros per month of the work bonus. The union also calls workers in charge of trains maintenance to mobilize on Tuesday, as well as drivers on Wednesday.

The SNCF management has closed the door to any increase in remuneration, believing that it has done the required annual negotiations in November with 2.2 % average increase in wages, beyond the inflation provided in 2025 (1.5 % according to the Banque de France).

In a letter addressed to employees, the CEO of the rail group, Jean-Pierre Farandou, is committed to « A step of step » before summer « To examine the general economic situation and compare us to large companies »and another in September to look at the level of inflation.

Jean-Pierre Farandou, whose CEO’s mandate must end By the summer due to the age limit, still admits planning problems, with « New tools that add constraints ». However, “Upcoming category strikes at SNCF Travelers will have no added value. On the contrary, they will permanently weaken SNCF, and therefore all railway workers even when SNCF Travelers is confronted with competition ”he believes.

On the first day of the strike on May 5, coincides with the opening of the transport infrastructure financing conference organized by the government in Marseille.