Unions are outraged by plans to scrap complimentary tickets for families of staff working for France’s state-owned operator SNCF, writes Charles Bremner.
SNCF wants to rein in the benefits that apply to up to 1 million staff, family members and retired employees which it says costs 100 million euros a year.
Currently working and retired personnel are granted free travel for life, and their spouses and children can make 16 free trips per year and then pay 10% of fares thereafter. Parents, grandparents and in-laws are entitled to four trips per year. But reforms would mean that only workers and their spouses and children will be entitled to free travel, saving more than 20 million Euros a year for SNCF which is 44 billion euros in debt.
We've read it in: The Times, September 12, Page 35
