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STRIKES

Number of striking rail workers drops to lowest level since movement began

Train strikes in France continued on Monday and Tuesday but in a boost for the government as well as passengers, rail chiefs revealed that the number of workers joining the walk-out had dropped to the lowest level since the movement began.

Number of striking rail workers drops to lowest level since movement began
AFP

French rail operator SNCF said the percentage of rail workers opting to join the latest two day rolling strike on Monday had dropped to the lowest level since the industrial action began at the beginning of April.

On Monday only 13.97 percent of SNCF employees answered the unions' call to walk out. That compares to 33.9 percent of rail workers who joined the strike on its first day.

Nevertheless there was still widespread disruption of train services, particularly TER regional and Intercité mainline services. Some two out three high-speed TGV trains were running.

One reason why there was still disruption to services despite under 14 percent of workers joining the strike is that the rate of participation has been much higher among train drivers.

Although on Monday the percentage of train drivers on strike dropped under the 50 percent mark for the first time to 49.8 percent.

However when the strike began some 77 percent of train drivers joined the walk-out, which was why only one in eight high-speed TGV trains were running at the beginning of the movement and some regional lines were closed completely.

Monday marked the 23rd day of strike action since April 3rd when rail workers, called cheminots in France began their industrial action in protest over the government's planned reforms of the rail sector.

The percentage of ticket controllers who joined the strike on Monday was down to 40.9 percent, from 69 percent at the beginning of the strike.

READ ALSO: Q&A – What's the state of play with the French rail strikes?

Despite the falling number of strikers some unions have vowed to continue the fight in order to try and keep up the pressure on the government, although there are signs of a split with more moderate unions like the CFDT suggesting they are keen to end the conflict.

The strikes are scheduled to be held until the end of June (see calendar below) but with senators set to discuss the reforms on Tuesday, Roger Dillenseger from the UNSA union said the strikes would not be halted.

“There is no question for the moment of stopping the movement. It is a question of maintaining the pressure on the Senate, and especially not to leave it free to validate the reform as it stands,” he said.

But if no agreement can be found to pacify the rail unions there will be fears the strikes will run on into the summer holidays.

That's a prospect that would worry rail chiefs as well as all holiday makers in France.

“The French couldn't stand the strike during the summer holidays, and I think that the rail workers themselves, who are responsible people, do not want to spoil their holidays,” said French rail chief Guillaume Pepy.

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TRAVEL NEWS

German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

Germany's Deutsche Bahn rail operator and the GDL train drivers' union have reached a deal in a wage dispute that has caused months of crippling strikes in the country, the union said.

German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

“The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn have reached a wage agreement,” GDL said in a statement.

Further details will be announced in a press conference on Tuesday, the union said. A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn also confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

Train drivers have walked out six times since November, causing disruption for huge numbers of passengers.

The strikes have often lasted for several days and have also caused disruption to freight traffic, with the most recent walkout in mid-March.

In late January, rail traffic was paralysed for five days on the national network in one of the longest strikes in Deutsche Bahn’s history.

READ ALSO: Why are German train drivers launching more strike action?

Europe’s largest economy has faced industrial action for months as workers and management across multiple sectors wrestle over terms amid high inflation and weak business activity.

The strikes have exacerbated an already gloomy economic picture, with the German economy shrinking 0.3 percent across the whole of last year.

What we know about the new offer so far

Through the new agreement, there will be optional reduction of a work week to 36 hours at the start of 2027, 35.5 hours from 2028 and then 35 hours from 2029. For the last three stages, employees must notify their employer themselves if they wish to take advantage of the reduction steps.

However, they can also opt to work the same or more hours – up to 40 hours per week are possible in under the new “optional model”.

“One thing is clear: if you work more, you get more money,” said Deutsche Bahn spokesperson Martin Seiler. Accordingly, employees will receive 2.7 percent more pay for each additional or unchanged working hour.

According to Deutsche Bahn, other parts of the agreement included a pay increase of 420 per month in two stages, a tax and duty-free inflation adjustment bonus of 2,850 and a term of 26 months.

Growing pressure

Last year’s walkouts cost Deutsche Bahn some 200 million, according to estimates by the operator, which overall recorded a net loss for 2023 of 2.35 billion.

Germany has historically been among the countries in Europe where workers went on strike the least.

But since the end of 2022, the country has seen growing labour unrest, while real wages have fallen by four percent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

German airline Lufthansa is also locked in wage disputes with ground staff and cabin crew.

Several strikes have severely disrupted the group’s business in recent weeks and will weigh on first-quarter results, according to the group’s management.

Airport security staff have also staged several walkouts since January.

Some politicians have called for Germany to put in place rules to restrict critical infrastructure like rail transport from industrial action.

But Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected the calls, arguing that “the right to strike is written in the constitution… and that is a democratic right for which unions and workers have fought”.

The strikes have piled growing pressure on the coalition government between Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business FDP, which has scored dismally in recent opinion polls.

The far-right AfD has been enjoying a boost in popularity amid the unrest with elections in three key former East German states due to take place later this year.

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