Further strikes in France could lead to European cargo disruption

Following our update on previous strikes in France earlier this year, another round of national strikes is set to impact European supply chains.

France is preparing for nationwide disruption with workers taking part in industrial action from Tuesday, 7th March to protest proposed pension reforms by the French government.

The strikes, which will see workers walk out from a wide range of sectors and unions, will impact the country’s airports, rail network and ports amongst other industries, with a knock on effect on European road freight expected.

Rail
All SNCF unions have announced that they will take part in ‘rolling strikes’, affecting both passenger and freight movements, with union leaders meeting each evening to discuss whether to continue strike action.

Ocean
Five national federations of port and dock workers have also agreed to take 48 hours of industrial action, which is understood to be heavily supported by dockers and port establishments, impacting operations. The port strikes are set to take place on Tuesday, 7th March and Wednesday, 8th, with Tuesday being the most disruptive day of action.

Air
Whilst there will be widespread disruption to passenger services during the strike period, workers in the air freight sector have stated that they will also strike across the 7th and 8th of March. Members of the USAC-CGT air traffic control union and DGAC will also be taking part in the strike leading to reduced air services.

Road
Union leaders have also called for lorry drivers to halt during the strike period, with the potential for all road freight operations to be impacted due to 'go-slow' operations set to slow traffic on major roads and fuel refinery strikes which could lead to a fuel shortage across the country.

We are working to ensure that any disruption to your European supply chain is minimised and will update this page with any further developments.

For any urgent questions regarding your European supply chain please contact us here.

Source: la CGT