SNCF strike: Bruno Le Maire calls for a solution “in the next few hours”

Europe 1 with AFP 10:06 a.m., December 22, 2022

The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, demanded Thursday from the management of the SNCF that it resolve "in the next few hours" the strike of controllers which led to the cancellation of many TGVs during the weekend of Christmas.

"What we expect from the management of the SNCF today is that it finds a solution in the next few hours, I say in the next few hours. That is the responsibility of the management of the SNCF, it has the support of the state, it must find the ways and means to get out of this conflict", declared Bruno Le Maire on

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"I say at some point, enough with these repeated strikes"

"It's a move that makes me angry, angry for customers who are deprived of Christmas holidays," insisted the minister.

According to the SNCF, the controllers' strike will lead to the cancellation of two out of five TGVs on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 December, which would affect some 200,000 passengers.

Since November, the public railway company has struggled to establish a dialogue with the collective of controllers at the origin of this social movement.

They want better recognition.

Independent of the unions, they still had to rely on the latter to file notices.

The management has already proposed to increase the "work bonus" of the captains (official name of the controllers) by 600 euros per year, as well as an additional allowance of 600 euros gross per year.

Proposals that the strikers considered insufficient.

"We must be in a country where the rules are respected. The rules are that there is a president of the public company who must discuss with the representatives of the legitimate, responsible employees, who are called the unions", insisted Bruno Le Maire.

"I say at one point, enough with these repeated strikes even though there have been wage increases, enough with the blockages even though there have been overtures that have been made vis-à-vis strikers, and enough with these difficulties for our compatriots who are already in the midst of an inflationary crisis, (…) who are living their first Christmas without Covid, and who are entitled to rest and serenity.