Three strike days planned: an autumn marked by social mobilization

Autumn 2024 promises to be a particularly tense time on the social front, with several key sectors calling for mobilization. Starting on November 14, a series of strikes will affect air transport, agriculture and the SNCF, each in a specific context of protest.

November 14: strike by airline pilots against airline taxation

The French national airline pilots’ union (SNPL) has called for a strike on November 14, following the adoption by members of parliament of a tax increase on air transport. All airline workers, not just pilots, are invited to join the strike, with a rally planned in front of the National Assembly. The aim of the strike is to protest against this new tax measure, which is causing great concern among industry professionals.

November 15: farmers angered by economic difficulties

The following day, November 15, it’s farmers’ turn to demonstrate their discontent. After a major mobilization a few months earlier, farmers are feeling increasingly under pressure. Between the diseases affecting their livestock and the shadow of the free-trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, tensions are running high.

Jérôme Bayle, a beef farmer in Haute-Garonne and a key figure in recent farm protests, warns that the signing of the Mercosur agreement could trigger widespread anger among farmers.

November 21: SNCF strike against rail reforms

Finally, on November 21, a new strike will shake up the SNCF. This is being billed as an “ultimatum” day, a prelude to an unlimited strike scheduled to start on December 11. The rail group’s unions are protesting against the liberalization of the sector, in particular the opening up of regional lines to competition and the downsizing of Fret SNCF. This mobilization is part of a wider series of protests against the reforms affecting the rail sector.

Thus, these three movements, planned within a short space of time, bear witness to a period of strong social protest, when workers in the air, agricultural and rail sectors are joining forces to defend their rights in the face of reforms and economic difficulties.