Barthélémy Philippe / Photo credits: Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 6:21 a.m., February 14, 2024

This weekend, strikes will be expected across all SNCF traffic until next Monday. Enough to annoy some travelers, especially when they know the remuneration and benefits of the railway company controllers.

The hassle ahead for the many French people who are going on vacation by train this weekend. From this Wednesday until next Monday, the CGT and Sud Rail are calling on SNCF controllers to strike for wages and better consideration of arduousness. The movement should be followed by 70% to 90% of crew chiefs according to the unions. And as their presence is essential for the trains to run, traffic is expected to be extremely disrupted.

Martin, 23 years old and controller, earns 2,500 euros net per month

An element that can lead to annoyance, especially when you know the advantages of controllers. The average salary of crew chiefs has increased by 17% over the last three years and management has just offered them an exceptional bonus of 400 euros, to try to defuse the strike. There are certainly the arduous factors linked to the job such as staggered hours, nights and weekends worked. But they are compensated by bonuses ranging from 400 to 700 euros per month depending on seniority.

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Result: remuneration is good for a low-skilled job. Example with Martin, a 23-year-old Parisian controller, who revealed his annual salary of 38,000 euros in

Pascal Praud et vous

on Europe 1. Including bonuses, Martin earns 2,500 euros net per month.

A better paid job than a nurse

Good pay, partly due to the fact that he works in the capital. And yet, that doesn't stop him from going on strike. The other advantage of captains is retirement. Controllers hired before 2020 can leave at age 57 and it will be 59 from 2025. Note that the legal age of 64 only applies to recruits who arrived since 2020.

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Unacceptable despite everything for Stéphane Boulade, from Sud-Rail. “The first of the demands is the adjustment of the end of career to retire at an age which still allows you to benefit a little behind and especially that we do not see 64 and 67 year old controllers on the trains "It's completely unrealistic to think that this is possible," protests this union member. And yet, cashiers, nurses or hotel and restaurant employees should not escape it. While they, too, carry out difficult jobs.