Train strike continues as French unions stand firm
Train strikes are set to continue into July and August, as unions stand firm and a strike timetable is running today (Friday July 6), ahead of the first weekend of the school summer holidays.
Today鈥檚 strike is expected to continue into tomorrow (Saturday July 7).
Laurent Brun, general secretary of union CGT Cheminots, strike dates would 鈥減robably鈥� continue until the 谤别苍迟谤茅别 in September, including a definite date set for July 19.
He said that the strike has 鈥渘o end point in sight, because we do not have the guarantees that we have been asking for since the beginning鈥�.
Mr Brun the strike was the 鈥渞esponsibility of the government鈥�, as it 鈥渞emains unrelenting鈥� on the statut des cheminots workers question: the disputed historical SNCF worker contracts that the government鈥檚 new proposals seek to replace.
Today, CGT Cheminots and SUD are on strike, with four out of five TGV and TER trains running; two out of three Intercit茅s; and three out of four Transiliens on average.
The RER is variable; Line A is running fine, but just one in three trains is running on the R line.
Four out of five TGVs are running with near-normal traffic, especially along the major routes.
Passengers are advised to check their exact routes before travelling, with most tickets 鈥渞efundable or exchangeable without extra cost鈥�, said SNCF.
In a statement, : 鈥淸Nearly 100%] of trains are guaranteed to run for tourist destinations such as Paris-Marseille, Paris-Nice, Paris-Montpellier, Paris-Perpignan, Paris-Bordeaux [and] Paris-Rennes.鈥�
Two other SNCF workers鈥� unions, L鈥橴nsa and CFDT, have announced that they will not strike during the summer holiday period.
