French Rail Unions Announce Coordinated Strikes Starting May 5

The CGT-Cheminots and SUD-Rail unions plan staggered strikes over bonuses and work conditions, potentially disrupting travel during the May 8 holiday weekend.

The CGT-Cheminots union has called for SNCF conductors and controllers to begin striking on May 5, three days before the May 8 holiday weekend.
SUD-Rail has announced additional strike actions, with drivers set to strike on May 7 and controllers on May 9-11.
Union demands include restructuring and increasing bonuses for drivers and controllers, as well as improving work schedules to reduce last-minute changes.
The unions criticize current scheduling practices, which they claim harm relationships between operators and chief conductors.
SNCF CEO Christophe Fanichet has expressed confidence in recent progress in labor discussions, aiming to minimize disruptions during the travel period.