Those travelling to or from France – or even those flying above the country – could be disrupted by a series of transport sector strikes this summer.
The aviation, rail, and road sectors are all set to see major action, causing chaos for holidaymakers, no matter how they plan their getaway.
Railway journeys in particular could be affected by extended action lasting until September 1, alongside prolonged and disruptive strikes by taxi drivers.
Below, The Connexion looks at the potential disruptions according to each sector.
Aviation: school holiday strike, airline rule changes
The major confirmed action happening in the sector is a strike by air traffic controllers on July 3 and 4, just before the start of French school holidays on July 5.
The UNSA-ICNA union, which originally called the strike, has been joined by the CGT.
The action follows years of difficult negotiations between the unions and French Civil Aviation Authorities (DGAC) over the role of controllers at airports.
Disruption is expected for both those travelling to and from France, and the DGAC are expected to ask major airports across the country to limit or reduce flight numbers on the affected days.
The authority’s social media pages will likely announce the expected disruption on Wednesday (July 2) and Thursday (July 4) for the following days.
It is worth noting that the largest union in the sector, SNCTA, which represents around 60% of controllers in France, has not asked workers to join the action.
The high turnout from the other unions may counterbalance this – UNSA-ICNA has asked every worker in the union to strike.
Alongside disruptions to air travel in and out of France, the strike could also affect other international routes, as they may be prevented from using the country’s airspace due to a lack of controllers.
This, in turn, may lead to delays, diversions, and disruptions, especially to flights in and out of the UK, many of which fly over French airspace.
Further strikes in the sector may be announced later in the summer, as expected mass changes to European air regulations may also see knock-on effects.
For example, Airlines may try to cut staff to reduce costs, which could lead to further strikes.
In general, summer is a popular time for airline staff to strike, as it is the busiest time of the year and the most disruptive.
Last summer, major action by low-cost carrier easyJet saw many flights across Europe disrupted.
Rail network: prolonged strikes, surprise action
Major strike action is expected on the French rail network. However, the motion itself has taken a different form in a bid to be more disruptive.
SUD-Rail filed a strike motion lasting from mid-June to September 1, covering the entire summer holiday period.
This extended strike action is not designed for all workers to stop striking on these days, but allow them to strike at short notice on any day of the summer if they wish.
Planned major strikes in May and June by SUD-Rail and other unions were expected to cause major disruption, but mostly failed to do so.
This is because the short strike period and advanced warning allowed state rail operator SNCF to find alternatives, such as volunteer staff, despite many workers striking at the same time.
The new tactic aims to counterbalance this.
While fewer workers will walk out on the same day, the short notice (workers in the sector must only announce their intention to strike during a motion one day in advance) means localised disruption may be more frequent and more difficult for the SNCF to anticipate and combat.
In theory, it means that local cells can strike sporadically, causing small disruptions that accumulate across the network.
It makes it difficult to forewarn of how disruptive action will be, either in terms of location, date, or intensity, keeping the SNCF and holidaymakers on edge all summer.
It is a fair bet that popular tourist destinations will be targeted – think the south-west, Brittany, the Mediterranean – as well as high-speed trains. However, this is not confirmed.
Rail schedules are updated at 17:00 (providing details of the following day), informing passengers of any strike-related disruption during strike periods, so it is best to check your travel plans the night before.
Further strike action by other unions may be called, but so far, SUD-Rail is the only group that has filed a motion.
Roads: toll strikes, taxi protests
Strike action is not limited to public transport but may also take place on the roads.
Workers at the Autoroutes Estérel-Côte d'Azur, under motorway operator Vinci, are on strike throughout July over the hiring of temporary workers.
Strike action could affect tolls on the A8 and A51 roads in the south-east. However, the CFDT union backing the workers say journeys will not be affected and the strike will be ‘transparent’.
The CGT has filed a prolonged strike motion lasting until September 15 that covers motorway workers, but no exact areas have been identified as at risk of disruption.
In most cases, strikes are an internal matter and are not intended to disrupt drivers on the road.
Holidaymakers may be affected by prolonged taxi strikes, which are set to last throughout the summer and could cause widespread disruption.
Taxi drivers announced plans to block Paris’ two major airports (Orly and Charles de Gaulle/Roissy) after a round of meetings with government ministers on changes to hospital transport fees was deemed unproductive by union leaders.
During this year’s wave of actions, which are now entering their third month, drivers have been known to set up roadblocks at major points (airports, train stations, etc) to check that vehicle-hire drivers with companies such as Bolt and Uber are following rules.
Taxis also engage in ‘snail’ protests, driving extremely slowly along major roads to bring traffic to a standstill.
This method of strike action is also set to be carried out by pharmacists, who announced they aim to block major roads as part of their summer protests.
Last but not least, farmer protests could equally block roads, particularly around Paris and city halls, if further strike action in the sector is announced.
