Salary increases at SNCF will be implemented this year after two of the four representative unions signed the agreement negotiated during the mandatory annual negotiations (NAO). CFDT Cheminots and UNSA-Ferroviaire have approved the management’s proposals, while CGT Cheminots and Sud-Rail have rejected the agreement, according to information published by VRT and BFMTV.
According to SNCF management, the negotiated package leads to an average wage increase of approximately 2.6% (2.57%–2.6%, depending on the calculation method), by combining several wage measures and bonuses.
General increases, bonuses, and automatic progression mechanism
The agreement provides for a general wage increase of 0.5%, applied in two stages:
- +0.25% from July 1
- +0.25% from October 1
In addition to this increase, employees will benefit from a package of bonuses and incentives. SNCF recalls the granting of a bonus of EUR 650, of which EUR 400 was already paid in December, with the remainder to be paid at a later date.
Added to this is an average bonus of approximately 1,100 EUR, scheduled for May, bringing the total additional amount to around 1,750 EUR, according to company management.
A central element of the agreement is the introduction of the annual salary progression guarantee (GPSA). This mechanism ensures an automatic salary increase linked to seniority, even in the absence of promotion to a new level. The annual increase is 0.6%, with the difference to be adjusted upon promotion to the higher level.
For contract employees, who represent about one-third of SNCF’s workforce, the increase is applied through an annual increase in the seniority bonus, instead of the previous system of increases every three years.
SNCF management: “no employee below 1.1% increase”
According to SNCF management, the new measures guarantee that no employee will have a salary increase of less than 1.1%, calculated as the sum of the two general increases (0.25% + 0.25%) and the automatic increase of 0.6%, without taking into account any promotions or individual increases.
“These signatures illustrate a dynamic of sustained and constructive social dialogue within the SNCF group,” the company said in a statement quoted by BFMTV, noting that more than ten collective agreements have been signed in the last two years.
Divergent union reactions
The signatory unions welcomed the agreement. UNSA-Ferroviaire speaks of “real gains,” “immediate purchasing power,” and the unblocking of career paths, emphasizing that the signing of the agreement allows for the effective implementation of the measures.
CFDT Cheminots, for its part, acknowledges that the level of the general increase “is not commensurate with the commitment of employees,” but considers that the signing of the agreement is an act of responsibility, given the “concrete improvements in remuneration and working conditions.”
In contrast, CGT Cheminots describes the management’s proposals as “a provocation” and argues that they accentuate disparities and precariousness by resorting to one-off bonuses at the expense of general wage increases.
Sud-Rail goes even further, denouncing a “masquerade” and stating that the much-publicized increase of over 2.5% “does not reflect a real increase in wages.”
The agreement also represents a political victory for SNCF President Jean Castex, amid ongoing social tensions and debates about the purchasing power of French railway workers.
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