Worrying. With the Rugby World Cup in France (September 8 to October 28, 2023) less than ten days away, one of the main public transport unions is calling for strike action at the start of the tournament. The FO-RATP union in the Services et espaces multimodaux (SEM) department, which includes employees working at ticket offices in metro and RER stations, has confirmed a strike notice for Friday September 8, the day of the France-New Zealand match at the Stade de France. It is calling for better bonuses for station staff, a demand which, according to a FO-RATP press release, has been ignored by management. The union specifies that metro and RER drivers will receive a 330 euro bonus, plus several “à l’acte” bonuses, but nine out of 10 station agents will receive nothing. “They’ll realize that without us, the stations will remain closed“, insists FO-RATP. In the longer term, the union is already eyeing the Paris 2024 Games. Negotiations with RATP management are scheduled for autumn. They should turn on the question of bonuses to be granted to employees during the event, to enable them to postpone their vacations.
