FRANCE: An wildcat strike by French ticket inspectors creates widespread chaos for train commuters

Record ID: 340557

  • Title: FRANCE: An wildcat strike by French ticket inspectors creates widespread chaos for train commuters
  • Date: 8th October 2011
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 07, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF GARE SAINT LAZARZE PEOPLE ON PLATFORM VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN STATION VARIOUS OF TRAIN COMING INTO STATION VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS ALIGHTING FROM TRAIN VARIOUS OF INFORMATION SCREEN AT STATION WITH STRIKE MESSAGE (SOUNDBITE) (French) COMMUTER, SOLANGE SAYING: "I understand them. I believe it's a reaction on behalf o
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5HA6TVS3TU8XEW8JXTBRH091Z
  • Story Text: Thousands of commuters were left stranded on Friday (October 07) following an impromptu strike by ticket inspectors across the French national railway service SNCF.
    The decision to strike followed a knife attack on a ticket collector on Thursday morning on a train linking Lyon to Strasbourg.
    France's national railway released a statement saying only one in three high-speed trains and one in four regional trains would be running, with some regions more affected than others.
    At Paris' Gare Saint-Lazare, information screens announced strong delays, as customers watched and waited.
    But many said they empathised with the decision taken by ticket collectors.
    "I understand them. I believe it's a reaction on behalf of the SNCF staff which is reasonable. But it bothers a lot of people," said one commuter, Solange.
    "Of course I understand. You don't just attack people like that," said another, Maria.
    "I would have done the same thing. It's true that there are sometimes delays and we don't know what caused them, but here we know," she said.
    Ticket collectors in France travel on the same trains as passengers, stamping tickets along the journey to ensure passengers have paid the correct fare. A lack of gates or turnstiles in French stations means anyone can board a train and the responsibility of checking valid tickets is entirely the ticket collector's.
    But elsewhere in the station, other commuters weren't so understanding.
    "They could make the trains run anyway, as they strike. I don't know if ticket controllers are needed for the trains to run," said commuter Loic.
    The SNCF group said international travel would not be affected. The action was due to be called off later on Friday.
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