SNCF strike: what traffic is expected this Sunday for the last day of the mobilization?

SNCF expects minor disruptions on Sunday, with more than nine out of ten TGV trains in France operating, for the final day of the ticket inspectors' strike during the May 8th long weekend. Traffic is "little disrupted" this weekend, according to a spokesperson for the SNCF group's communications department. "Transilien (Paris suburban trains), TER (regional trains) and Intercités (regional trains) ran normally, and traffic was 96% normal on TGVs on Saturday. We expect the same thing on Sunday," the same source said.

The strikers' turnout, which was "very strong" on Saturday, is expected to "drop a little on Sunday," according to the Sud-Rail union. "On Saturday, there were over 60% of TGV ticket inspectors on strike, with peaks in the South-East at over 66%. And we're at around 50% on TER trains," said Fabien Villedieu of Sud-Rail. Despite this turnout - the SNCF also expects a strike rate of over 60% on Saturday - the public group had assured that all passengers would be able to "travel to their destination on the scheduled day."

The SUD-Rail union and a collective of controllers called the Collectif national ASCT (CNA) have called for a strike on May 9, 10, and 11 to demand an increase in their work bonus and better anticipation of schedules, which they say are too often changed at the last minute.

New mobilization in June

Most trains are running thanks to the deployment of volunteer executives within the company, who have received special one-day training to replace striking train conductors. For Sud-Rail, this is not enough to explain the low level of traffic disruption: "SNCF has sought to conceal the strike by imposing a degraded transport plan, with single TGV units of 500 people instead of the usual double trains during peak periods, which require more conductors," according to Fabien Villedieu.

At the beginning of May, SNCF Voyageurs CEO Christophe Fanichet indicated that he had "already had thousands of fewer reservations for the May 8th bank holiday" in anticipation of the strike. Claiming to have "given social dialogue every chance" with "more than 35 meetings," he pledged to "provide clarity on the weekly rest periods for TGV train managers, at six months instead of three," but ruled out a pay increase.

Sud-Rail should provide an update "at the beginning of next week" on the possible follow-up to the movement.