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STRIKES

These are the train services running in France until December 29th as strikes continue

As strikes continue and hopes of a 'Christmas truce' were dashed, French rail operator SNCF has published its reduced timetables going up to Thursday, December 26th.

Published: 24 December 2019 17:08 CET
These are the train services running in France until December 29th as strikes continue
Photo: AFP

It had been hoped that unions would declare a 'Christmas truce' to allow people to travel as normal on the trains over the festive period, but despite some progress in talks on Thursday, the two biggest rail unions – the CGT and Sud-Rail – have ruled this out.

READ ALSO Is there a deal in sight between the  French government and striking workers?

Rail operator SNCF has now published its revised strike timetables running up to December 26th and overall over the holidays it is managing to run about half of its normal services.

Here's what is running.

Saturday, December 21st and Sunday, December 22nd

This was set to be the big weekend getaway, as the majority of French schools break up on Friday, hundreds of thousands of families had planned to travel over the weekend.

According to SNCF, 1.7 million people had booked tickets for the weekend, but only about 850,000 will be able to travel.

In total, half of the usual high speed TGV services will run, although almost all the budget Ouigo services will be running.

Anyone whose train is cancelled has the option to attempt to switch to another service, or claim a full refund while anyone who decided not to travel because of the strike can also claim a full refund.

Monday, December 23rd and Tuesday, December 24th

For those who want to make their Christmas getaway slightly later, a total of 41 percent of high speed TGV and Intercité services will be running.

Demand for these two days was lower than the weekend, but around 400,000 people had pre-booked tickets for these two days, about half of whom will be able to travel as planned.

In total, SNCF says 208,000 people have had their train confirmed, while a further three percent of services will run with an adapted timetable – coupled to a later running train in order to maximise the number of passengers transported with a single driver.

But 192,000 passengers will have to either cancel their trip or try to find a ticket for a different service.

Wednesday, December 25th and Thursday, December 26th

The same level of service will be running on Christmas Day and Boxing Day – 41 percent of the total services normally seen.

Four in 10 TGV services will be running. 

Friday, December 27th, Saturday, December 28th and Sunday, December 29th

There will be an increased level of service over this weekend, with SNCF saying it will be able to guarantee six out of 10 of the normal TGV services.

SNCF says the 'majority' of the 800,000 people who had booked tickets over this weekend will be able to travel, albeit perhaps not at their original time. 

On Friday and over the second weekend of the holiday period there will be six in 10 TGVs running and seven in 10 of the normal Ouigo services.

There will also be an increase in international services, with 41 percent of Lyria trains between France and Switzerland, 50 percent of Elipsos trains between France and Spain, 67  percent of TGV trains between France and Italy and 38 percent of Alleo trains between France and Germany.

The Eurostar is also running a reduced service and has already published a timetable running to December 31st on its website.

The increase in services follows the normal pattern of long-term strikes in France when many workers – who are not paid during strikes – may begin returning to work as they feel the financial effects of almost a month without pay.

On Monday, December 23rd, just 44.7 percent of SNCF drivers were striking, down from 85 percent at the start of the strikes and the first time the strike levels had fallen below 50 percent since the strike action began on December 5th.

Full details of SNCF services are available on the company's website here – and there is also an SNCF app which provides updates for ticket holders.

 

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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.

Published: 26 March 2024 09:55 CET
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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