Strike of railroad workers: third Friday of mobilization at the Provence Railways

Friday, September 18, 2026, in the morning, the forecourt of the South Station welcomed the third consecutive weekly strike by employees of the Chemins de fer de Provence. Faced with wage negotiations at an impasse, railroad workers are demanding an urgent revaluation of their compensation.

The black Fridays are following one another on the mythical line connecting Nice to Digne-les-Bains. For the third week in a row, traffic has been paralyzed following calls by several union organizations, including the CGT (General Confederation of Labor) Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur. At the root of this standoff: the failure of mandatory annual negotiations (NAO). After several fruitless meetings, the gap between the demands of the staff and the offers of management appeared insurmountable.

While working conditions remain an underlying issue, the current movement targets an absolute priority: the paycheck. Line chief regulator, Wissem Berkane recalls the bitterness that runs through the ranks: « We want to show that we are not second-class railroad workers. We are nearly the lowest paid in France. With skyrocketing prices, our standard of living is no longer keeping up. »

Beyond a simple general raise, it is the entire career structure that is problematic. The employee laments a seniority scale that is “poorly designed,” whose consequences on staffing are already being felt on a daily basis, noting that a certain number of colleagues « left for other railroad companies because they earned more. » For Wissem Berkane, reassessing these levels would finally make it possible to « retain employees a bit more » and stem the departures of qualified drivers or technicians.

A convergence between users and political forces

Present at the rally, the local section of the PCF 06 came to display strong support. « When you look at purchasing power in the region, between the rise in housing prices and prices driven up by tourism, employees must have enough to live decently », insists its section secretary, Gilles Verrier, who came to place this social conflict in the daily reality of the department.

The communist representative also emphasizes the vital role of this rail infrastructure for the opening up of the hinterland and home-to-work commutes.

Despite the inconveniences caused by traffic suspensions, the strikers feel strong goodwill, both on the ground and on social networks. While the loss of a day’s pay each Friday weighs heavily on employees’ budgets, they consider this financial sacrifice as a collective investment for the future of their public service mission.

Tuesday, September 22: the meeting of the last chance?

After two weeks of blockade, a glimmer of hope seems to be emerging. Wissem Berkane notes that management took a first step during recent exchanges. Although nothing is finalized yet, the employees note that a phase of concrete negotiations has finally opened.

The outcome of the conflict will therefore be decided next Tuesday at a new round table between management, the Region, and the unions. In a general assembly, the railroad workers will then sovereignly decide whether to continue or not their movement the following Friday. If the proposals from management remain deemed insufficient, the locomotive of protest has no intention of pulling into the station anytime soon.