France’s long-running battle over rail and metro stoppages took a decisive turn this week when the National Assembly’s Law Committee approved a draft bill that would limit the right to strike in the transport sector to 30 ‘protected-service’ days per year.
Tabled by centrist deputies but backed by Les Républicains and the Rassemblement National, the proposal would compel unions and employers to negotiate an annual calendar of blackout periods covering school holidays, public exams, major sporting events and other peak-demand windows. If the two sides fail to agree, the government could impose terms by decree after consulting the Conseil d’État.
Key clauses would lengthen strike-notice periods from 48 to 72 hours, restrict industrial action to six hours per protected day and crack down on so-called ‘préavis dormants’, the open-ended notices that allow walkouts at short notice. Air-traffic control is excluded for now, but rail (SNCF), metro (RATP) and regional bus operators would all be covered.
![French MPs Advance Bill to Cap Strike Days in Public Transport]()
Business-travel groups welcomed the vote, noting that 17 separate rail strikes in 2025 cost companies an estimated €290 million in lost productivity and re-routing fees.
For international passengers who may find themselves scrambling for alternative routes during strike windows, VisaHQ’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) offers a fast, reliable way to verify entry requirements, obtain visas and receive real-time travel alerts. Taking care of paperwork before departure removes one more layer of uncertainty when rail or metro disruptions threaten to upend itineraries.
Unions blasted the bill as an “unprecedented assault” on a constitutional freedom and vowed mass protests ahead of the full-chamber debate set for 22 January.
If enacted, employers will need to revisit travel policies that rely on rail access during busy periods such as Easter and the Paris 2026 Olympics. Mobility managers should also monitor potential legal challenges at France’s Constitutional Council, which in past rulings has balanced service-continuity with labour rights.
Tabled by centrist deputies but backed by Les Républicains and the Rassemblement National, the proposal would compel unions and employers to negotiate an annual calendar of blackout periods covering school holidays, public exams, major sporting events and other peak-demand windows. If the two sides fail to agree, the government could impose terms by decree after consulting the Conseil d’État.
Key clauses would lengthen strike-notice periods from 48 to 72 hours, restrict industrial action to six hours per protected day and crack down on so-called ‘préavis dormants’, the open-ended notices that allow walkouts at short notice. Air-traffic control is excluded for now, but rail (SNCF), metro (RATP) and regional bus operators would all be covered.
Business-travel groups welcomed the vote, noting that 17 separate rail strikes in 2025 cost companies an estimated €290 million in lost productivity and re-routing fees.
For international passengers who may find themselves scrambling for alternative routes during strike windows, VisaHQ’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) offers a fast, reliable way to verify entry requirements, obtain visas and receive real-time travel alerts. Taking care of paperwork before departure removes one more layer of uncertainty when rail or metro disruptions threaten to upend itineraries.
Unions blasted the bill as an “unprecedented assault” on a constitutional freedom and vowed mass protests ahead of the full-chamber debate set for 22 January.
If enacted, employers will need to revisit travel policies that rely on rail access during busy periods such as Easter and the Paris 2026 Olympics. Mobility managers should also monitor potential legal challenges at France’s Constitutional Council, which in past rulings has balanced service-continuity with labour rights.
