November 8 strike at the SNCF: what should we expect?

Keep a close eye on your SNCF app if you plan to travel on Wednesday. On its website, the railway company announces that the circulation of its trains “could be disrupted” on November 8, due to a social movement. While some passengers have already been warned that their train will not run, details of the disruptions will only be communicated on Tuesday at 5 p.m. A social movement which finds its roots following the call launched by several unions to influence the opening on Wednesday of the annual cycle of salary negotiations at the SNCF.

In the sights of organizations, the excessive increase in inflation compared to salaries. For the CGT, “rail workers are bearing the brunt of the explosion in energy prices (16% for electricity), food products (19%), telephone and internet packages (9%)... so that, at the same time, SNCF management is posting record profits.”

In 2022, SNCF had in fact achieved a turnover of 41 billion euros, including 2.4 billion euros in profits. A record level. This is why the union led by Sophie Binet is demanding a general increase in salaries of around 12%. The CGT adds that “if a wage freeze was obtained in 2022, the increases were not sufficient to improve their living conditions.” In a joint press release, the CFDT and Sud Rail have the same arguments and criticize “prices (which) continue to increase and salary measures (which) do not make it possible to cope with inflation.”