Railway Workers’ Unions Reach Agreement to End Careers, Avoiding Strike

The four representative unions of SNCF have reached an agreement with management on the end of careers for railway workers, thereby avoiding a new strike by controllers during the May bridges. Last week, the CGT-Cheminots, the Unsa-Ferroviaire, and the CFDT-Cheminots signed the agreement, with Sud-Rail announcing its intention to do the same on Monday after consulting with its members.

The agreement includes significant improvements to the early retirement system for railway workers, particularly those who have held physically demanding positions. Drivers will be able to begin “early cessation of activity” 30 months before retirement with 15 months worked paid at 100% and 15 months not worked paid at 75%. For controllers, the system is even more favorable, with a cessation of activity spread over 36 months, including 18 months not worked paid at 75%.

This agreement helps to mitigate some of the negative effects of pension reform according to Sud-Rail federal secretary Erik Meyer. The union members overwhelmingly voted in favor of signing it and as a result, Sud-Rail has decided not to call a strike in May as previously threatened. The informal collective of controllers also indicated that they would not mobilize.

The end-of-careers agreement is significant within SNCF as it brings together all social partners. The CFDT-Cheminots noted that this agreement marks the first act of Jean-Pierre Farandou’s social progress platform in response to the controllers’ strike. Other provisions in the agreement include end-of-career part-time work paid 10% more than time actually worked and creation of an additional seniority level to improve remuneration for railway workers at end career stage.