French railworkers to strike Tuesday

French railworkers are to stage a one-day strike on Tuesday against the government’s plans to reform the state-owned rail network.

Paris's Gare de l'Est station during last year's rail strike, 16 June 2014 Reuters/Christian Hartmann

The CGT trade union, which has the most support among railworkers, has called the one-day stoppage to start at 7.00pm on Monday and end at 8.00am on Wednesday, although other unions that backed last year’s 12-day strike have not joined the call.

Tuesday’s action is timed to coincide with the SNCF rail company’s presentation of the plan’s enactment to the works committee.

Management say it will make the company more competitive.

The CGT says it is being pushed through hastily and fears that railworkers will have to “pay the price” of savings planned in the reform.