The French Senate voted Tuesday to allow the state to ban transport strikes during 30 set days each year in a bid to avoid unexpected interruptions in service ahead of national holidays or large-scale events like this year’s Olympic Games.
Hervé Marseille, the centrist Senator who penned the proposal, said insufficient regulations on striking had allowed for “the defense of sectorial interests to take place at the expense of others’ freedom” and led to situations where “individual interests trump the general interest.”
The French government opposed the bill — which still needs to be adopted by the French National Assembly to become law — pointing to its possible unconstitutionality as the right to strike is enshrined in France’s top legal document.
“The struggle French people face (during transport strikes) underlines the responsibility that weighs on companies and unions to avoid ending up in these situations,” Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said. “I believe that we must first and foremost reinforce dialogue within the transport sector to avoid strikes.”
But not all supporters of French President Emmanuel Macron agree — and a debate in the lower house could underline cracks within the pro-government coalition.
“When you can’t go home for the holidays to visit your father or mother who you haven’t seen in months, that’s a problem,” Maud Bregeon, a member of the National Assembly for Macron’s Renaissance party, said in a TV interview on Tuesday. “I don’t know if I’d vote in favor of the bill, but I share its philosophy.”
Strikes are also a major concern for French public authorities ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, which will be taking place in Paris and other cities across the country. The Paris transport operator’s top union has already issued a multi-month strike notice which encompasses the Games’ period in a bid to force its management into labor negotiations.
“Everything will be done to avoid any risk of industrial action during (the Games),” Macron said as early as July 2022 in an interview with sporting daily l’Équipe.
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