The railway group, SNCF, has proposed a salary increase of 4.6% on average for the year 2024, including a 1.8% general increase and a commitment to increasing low wages so that none of them is lower than 1.1 minimum wage and a value-sharing bonus of 400 euros to be paid to its more than 140,000 railway workers. Two unions, CFDT-Cheminots and Unsa-Ferroviaire, have announced their intention to sign the agreement while two other unions, CGT-Cheminots and SUD-Rail, are opposed to it.

The CFDT-Cheminots stated in a press release that after consulting members and management structures, they are clear in their decision to sign the agreement. Unsa-Ferroviaire also announced that it would also sign the agreement. These reformist unions weigh 42.67% of the votes against 57.33% for the CGT-Cheminots and SUD-Rail who are opposed to the agreement.

SUD-Rail has already announced its wish to “build a powerful mobilization” on the subject of wages and called on SNCF management to “reopen negotiations” due to the weakness of their proposals. The CGT-Cheminots described the management’s proposals as “indecent and contemptuous in view of the accumulated salary dispute”.

The unions have until the evening of November 22 to sign the agreement. Without a majority, the SNCF did not ensure that the agreement would be applied in its entirety. Last year, only the CFDT-Cheminots signed the agreement on 2023 salaries but despite lack of majority SNCF applied planned measures