dkjkdj

The April vacation and the May long weekends threatened by a strike at the SNCF

undefined undefined 25 mars 2025 undefined 12h00

undefined undefined 25 mars 2025 undefined 13h46

The Editor

© BreizhAtao - Shutterstock

The Sud Rail union has filed a notice of strike on behalf of the controllers for all weekends from April 17 to June 2. At the top of the list of demands is a salary increase.

Travelers are starting to get to know the song: in recent years, it has become common for SNCF staff to tighten things up as the holidays approach. The April break is no exception, as per information from Le Parisien, the union Sud Rail has filed a strike notice from April 17 to June 2 at the request of the controllers – the "ASCT railway workers" in local lingo – and their national collective. This period includes part or the entire April vacation depending on the zones, as well as the highly sought-after bridges in May, which are very desired by workers looking for affordable time off. 


« We're going to hit hard where it hurts » 

The goal : to put pressure on SNCF. In an interview with a journalist from a Parisian media outlet, Olivier, one of the leaders of the collective, explained that they have been reaching out to the management « for weeks », only to hit a wall. « We're going to hit hard where it hurts », he threatened; hitting hard during part of the spring vacation weekends, including the weekend of April 20, which affects all areas, as well as the May holidays (May 1, 8, and 29).

By going on strike, the controllers could paralyze traffic since their presence on the trains is essential to ensure the safety of travelers, as specified in the Transport Code. However, Pentecost (June 8) is off the hook. 


At SNCF, the optimism is blooming 

But then, should we really worry and plan for a Plan B? « Not all warnings lead to consequences », states SNCF Voyageurs, which assures it’s in a state of « dialogue » to reassure travelers. To avoid a strike, both the unions and management need to reach a agreement, while a statement from Sud Rail published this Monday, March 24, lamented the working conditions of conductors.

The issues at hand are the working hours being modified « day by day , as well as the introduction of a « new software » that changes the conductors' schedules « constantly, without prior notice ». The notice also demands an increase of « at least 100 euros per month».

and the work bonus for ASCT. « Our management only moves if we establish a showdown », concludes Olivier to the Parisien. A showdown that promises, once again, to be intense.