Paris began the new working week with only a skeleton public-transport service after the CGT-RATP union confirmed that its open-ended strike notice, filed on 28 September, remains in force. While trains on the automated Métro lines 1 and 14 are running almost normally, conventional lines are operating between 30 % and 60 % of their usual frequencies, with the sharpest reductions at off-peak hours. Dozens of surface bus routes are either curtailed or diverted around demonstrations, according to live traffic bulletins published by RATP on Sunday afternoon. The industrial action hinges on stalled wage negotiations and the staffing plan for the roll-out of Grand Paris Express extensions ahead of the 2027 World Expo. Union representatives say the operator’s current proposal would “freeze real wages” for two years, while management argues that it already matched inflation in the last bargaining round. For mobility managers the immediate headache is predictability. Guaranteed minimum service rules mean a basic timetable is published 48 hours in advance, but last-minute absenteeism routinely amplifies disruption by 10-15 %. Companies with offices at La Défense and in the eastern suburbs are urging employees to work from home or to stagger hours. Hotels around Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly report a 4-6 % rise in last-minute bookings from passengers opting to arrive the night before early flights. Practical advice for travellers: buy tickets in advance via the Bonjour RATP app to avoid unmanned ticket counters, allow at least 30 minutes of buffer time when connecting to inter-city trains, and monitor line-by-line alerts on social media (@RATPGroup) in English and French. The union has not announced an end-date, so contingency plans may need to last well into next week.
Source: Strike Tracker
