Geoffrey Branger // Photo credit: MAGALI COHEN / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP 6:21 a.m., February 14, 2024

From Friday evening, zone A joined zone C on vacation, and as is often the case, SNCF controllers announced they were going on strike. According to Sud-Rail and the CGT, between 70% and 90% of controllers have already declared themselves to be strikers, and without a controller, a train does not leave the station. A weekend of vacation which should therefore be very disrupted.

A weekend away on vacation for zones A (Académie de Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers)

and C (Academy of Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles)

which could be very complicated in stations, according to the unions, where 70% to 90% of controllers have already declared themselves on strike. They are demanding in particular an increase in salaries and better consideration of their end of career.

The SNCF hopes to save the trains to the Alps and the Pyrenees, for ski holidays, but it will be impossible to maintain all the trains as Jean-Pierre Farandou, the boss of the SNCF, has already announced, without being able to do so. precise time which trains will be canceled. One thing is certain, many French people will be impacted.

“It’s always the same circus”

Estelle, 28, with her eyes fixed on her phone, scans the SNCF website to find out if she will be able to return to her parents this weekend. She has to take a train Saturday morning towards Bordeaux. “Since it's gone, the train will probably be canceled, and as usual, we will be notified at the last minute, we will try to find a car, it will be complicated, a hassle,” explains- She.

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And she is obviously not the only one in this situation. Patrice also has to take a train this weekend towards Brittany. This 55-year-old business manager is very angry, he explains that SNCF employees should be prevented from going on strike during strategic periods, school holidays, Christmas, summer holidays. “It’s unbearable, there should be a minimum service which prohibits them from striking during school holidays, I think that’s what we did for air traffic,” he adds, exasperated.

“They are pushing the envelope a little far”

And then, many French people are annoyed to see railway employees once again on strike even though they believe that they are among the privileged. Valentin works in construction, he finds it shameful and unfair. "They have a lot of help, and each time, they ask for more and we give them more. There are certain professions on the side who work a lot more and who don't necessarily have as much help as they do. I I think they push things a little too far sometimes,” says the young man.

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This mobilization will last from Thursday to Monday, the next weekends are not currently affected by this call for strike.