France rail strikes: High-speed TGV lines cancelled on Christmas weekend as ticket inspectors seek pay hike

Over 200,000 vacationers in France scrambled to make substitute travel arrangements for their Christmas holidaysafter the national train operator announced major service cancellations owing to a strike.
For the approaching Christmas weekend, when millions of French people are scheduled to travel for family festivities, the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) has so far cancelled more than a third of the scheduled trains. High-speed TGV lines, which are the heart of long-distance train travel in France, were the worst hit services, which caused a surge in flights, rental cars, and carpooling.

"I understand their demands but do they have to go on strike during the festivities?" Isabelle Barrier, whose train to southwestern Toulouse was cancelled, told AFP in Paris.

"They couldn't give a damn about people! If they want to strike, I understand, but not the Christmas weekend!" said Emilio Quintana, a father struggling to find a ticket to Marseille, told AFP.

SNCF's travel division boss Christophe Fanichet apologised to travellers on Wednesday and called the strike action by ticket inspectors -- launched without union backing -- "scandalous" and "unacceptable".

"You don't strike at Christmas," agreed government spokesman Olivier Veran.

What is the strike for?

Due to high inflation, ticket inspectors are seeking a pay hike over the previously agreed-upon 12 per cent rise that would take effect over the course of two years, according to the SNCF.

France has an annual inflation rate of about six per cent, which is lower than the rest of other European nations that are also experiencing public sector strikes.

A wave of strikes by nurses, passport checkers, ambulance drivers, and train employees has affected neighbouring Britain.

On important lines like Paris to Bordeaux in the southwest and Paris to Rennes in western France, at least half of the weekend's scheduled trains had been cancelled earlier, according to the SNCF website.

The railway operatoroffered free re-bookings, including for more expensive seats, but by Wednesday, the majority of TGVs were already completely filled.

Additionally, it promised to issue vouchers to passengers whose trains were cancelled that were worth double the original ticket price.

(With inputs from agencies)

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