France’s road freight transport sector is up in arms. Following a long dispute that began in late 2021 and led to a nationwide strike on February 10, French unions signed an agreement with employers to set a 5% wage increase for professional drivers, with an additional 1% increase starting in May. However,this agreement with the Fédération Nationale des Transports Routiers (FNTR) and OTRE has lost its effectiveness due to rising inflation.
As a result of the war in Ukraine and the current economic situation, unions have reignited the dispute over wage increases, arguing that the raise they secured is insufficient given current inflation rates. In fact,the French unions FGTE-CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, and Snatt CFE-CGC have signed a joint statement calling for a new strike in the country’s transportation sector. Professional drivers are being called upon to participate in a new national mobilizationbeginning June 27, though the duration of the strike has not been specified.
The organizing unions explain thatinflation has caused wages to fall in a large number of sectors, in some cases dropping to levels equivalent to the minimum wage for each trade. In the case of road freight transport, the minimum hourly wage rose to 10.49 euros in April 2021, but this figure seems insufficient when pay for truck drivers is close to this amount anddoes not take into account the wage increases that have been agreed upon since then.
The unions consider this to be outrageous, as well as the treatment of the sector, arguing, among other things, that the new French government has not even established a Ministry of Transportation. In any case,the organizers of this strike on June 27 hope that it will not be limited to the road freight and logistics sectors, but that professionals from other industries will also join into block major industrial areas and key logistics hubs across the country.
Via Transportation to DIA
