Sud-Rail, the third-largest union at SNCF and the second among controllers, announced a pre-strike notice spanning six weeks, from April 17 to June 2, to address the worsening working conditions for controllers.

The union indicated in a statement on Monday that a newly implemented software system has resulted in constant changes to the controllers' schedules without prior notice.

As of now, the filing of the strike notice serves only as a warning to management, with Sud-Rail stating that the decision to initiate an actual strike will be discussed internally in the near future.

The union expressed disappointment at not having achieved any progress in negotiations regarding its demands for increased operational bonuses linked to the increased difficulty of the job.

Sud-Rail's statement highlighted the lack of dialogue from management regarding these concerns.

In response, SNCF Voyageurs management acknowledged the pre-strike notice, affirming that they are taking it seriously.

They stated, 'We are in a dialogue phase,' while emphasizing their attentiveness to all pre-strike notices.

During a media interview on RTL, France's Minister of Labor, Health, and Solidarity, Catherine Vautrin, called on all parties to take their responsibilities, stressing the importance of allowing the French public to maintain normalcy during the upcoming spring holidays.

She voiced concerns about how a strike during this time could disrupt people's lives.

Currently, no union has officially called for a strike during the school holiday period, and management noted that previous pre-strike notices had not resulted in significant disruptions.

The last strike by controllers occurred during a holiday weekend in February 2024, resulting in the cancellation of many TGV (high-speed train) services and affecting approximately 150,000 travelers.