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Paris waste collectors and rail unions call for strikes in push for bigger Olympic bonuses

Unions representing Paris waste collectors have threatened to strike for the entire Olympics period, while rail unions have called a one-day strike in May - both are calling for bonuses for their workers during the Games period.

Paris waste collectors and rail unions call for strikes in push for bigger Olympic bonuses
Uncollected rubbish during a waste collectors' strike in Paris in March 2023. Photo: AFP

The one-day rail strike is set to take place on Tuesday, May 21st, and it will affect certain types of public transport in the Paris region.

The industrial action could cause delays or cancellations on the RER regional train services, as well as Transiliens and the tram line 4 – all of which are operated by SNCF (national rail service) employees – according to French radio channel RMC. City transport including the Paris Metro system and buses – which are operated by RATP – are not expected to be affected. 

Meanwhile the CGT union representing some Paris waste collectors has filed two strike notices – one for mid-May and one for the entire period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (July, August and early September).

The union is calling for €1,900 bonuses for each employee during the Games period, as well as overall pay rises.

The CGT does not represent all of the capital’s waste collectors, nonetheless a strike during the Games period could lead to unsightly piles of uncollected rubbish around the city.

Meanwhile the rail unions are seeking a larger bonus than the €50 per day currently on offer.

The strike is timed just one day before scheduled discussions between SNCF management and unions.

READ MORE: ANALYSIS: Will strikes disrupt the Paris Olympics?

Negotiations have already taken place between several sectors including public transport operators RATP and the Paris police, in which staff have secured bonuses during the Games in exchange for a promise not to strike. 

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PARIS

Firefighters protest for Paris Olympics bonus

Several thousand firefighters marched through central Paris on Thursday to demand a bonus for the upcoming Olympic Games in the French capital and threatening to strike.

Firefighters protest for Paris Olympics bonus

Protesters set off smoke bombs and threw large firecrackers on the Place de la Republique, prompting the police to remove several demonstrators.

Nine unions had called for a day of action on Thursday, warning of possible strikes.

The firefighters and personnel from the departmental fire and rescue services (SDIS) demanded more staff, appropriate medical care and a bonus for their involvement in the Games in line with payments offered to police.

ANALYSIS: Will there be strike chaos during the Paris Olympics?

“We demand equal treatment with regards to the Olympic Games bonus. We want to be treated like the police”, CGT union representative Sebastien Delavoux told AFP, saying the police “have obtained bonuses ranging from €1,500 to €1,900.”

Paris’s police préfecture did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the rally.

The French capital, which has not hosted the Games in 100 years, is on a heightened security alert for the Olympics.

The Olympics will run from July 26th to August 11th, followed by the Paralympics from August 28th to September 8th.

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