France: National strike planned for October 10

Event

The nine main public sector unions are calling for a national strike on Tuesday, October 10, to denounce recent government reforms. Disruptions are expected in the transport, education, and health sectors.

SNCF, France’s national rail company, has announced delays and cancelations on both long distance and regional trains, starting Monday, October 9, at 19:00 (local time), until Wednesday, October 11, at 08:00. Further information will be released on the SNCF website 24 to 48 hours prior to the strike.

Additionally, the union representing air traffic controllers has called upon its employees to join the strike effort, which may cause some flight disruptions.

Context

These new demonstrations follow the related September 12 general strike and protests which gathered between 223,000 and 400,000 people throughout France. During the strike, 95 percent of SNCF trains were running, although intercity and commuter trains experienced considerable disruptions.

Additional demonstrations and actions were carried out between September 18 and September 25.

Advice

Travelers are advised to keep abreast of the situation, confirm their travel reservations and itineraries, and anticipate transportation disruptions.