Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 18:09 p.m., September 08, 2023

The Rugby World Cup kicks off today and the event will take place across France. The city of Marseille is to host 10 matches during the competition, matches that are likely to be disrupted by unions who have called for a strike on the SNCF TER network.

Several unions have called for strikes on the SNCF TER network in the PACA region, especially this weekend when two matches of the Rugby World Cup are to be played in Marseille. The FO and CGT unions, which had filed a notice until early 2024 this summer to denounce, among other things, "chronic understaffing" and "a public service that has become indigent", have called for a strike of train drivers on Saturday and Sunday.

'Negotiations at a standstill'

At the end of the procedure of "declaration of individual intent" to strike, mandatory 48 hours before a movement, "95% of TER drivers in Marseille" announced themselves participants, said Ali-Jean Boualam, regional secretary FO Cheminots PACA, denouncing the attitude of the management and "negotiations at a standstill". Another movement, started Wednesday evening at the call of Sud-Rail, concerns the staff of the main signal box of the Saint-Charles station in Marseille, which claims in particular to benefit from a bonus called "large post".

The strikers decided on Friday to extend the movement, at least for the weekend, said Alexandra Rodriguez of Sud-Rail. The regional management of the SNCF indicated that traffic was "very slightly disrupted" by the two movements, with 85% of trains in the region running normally (the movement does not concern mainline traffic). "Everyone will be able to go to the stadium," a spokesman insisted.

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Limit movement to the least frequented lines

In a statement, the region's Renaissance president, Renaud Muselier, lashed out at a "disgrace," accusing the strikers of wanting to "spoil a unique, festive event," for "categorical considerations." Highlighting the "nearly 700 million euros invested (each year) by the Region for the TER," he said he had for "common priority, with the SNCF", to limit the effects of this strike movement to "less frequented lines" and "to ensure as much as possible the journeys that allow to get to and from the matches", including the additional trains already planned.

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The PACA region hosts 10 matches of the Rugby World Cup, in Marseille and Nice. The region says it expects 600,000 foreign visitors. The union officials interviewed did not rule out that the movements could continue or resume for the pope's visit to Marseille, scheduled for September 22 and 23.