SNCM freezes ferry travel across the Med

SNCM ferry company is getting ready for a 24-hour strike on 15th June. Copryight SNCM

The strike will affect SNCM maritime traffic sailing from the French ports of Nice, Toulon and Marseille to all Corsican, North African and Italian destinations for 24 hours on Friday 15th June.

The CGT union claims that despite a week-long strike in May, as well as a 100-strong marines protest in the streets of Paris and a meeting with socialist and maritime officials, nothing has been done. The union also criticises Cuviller’s apprehension at flying French flags on all French ferries operating in waters outside of France - something that the minister has declared difficult, saying it is necessary to be identified as “euro-compatible”.

Amid the low-cost war, SNCM is unhappy with "disloyal competitors" for bringing in cheap, foreign labour to cut costs. Marseille-based union leader Frédéric Alpozzo said that "unless the state steps in to help SNCM, the company will go the same way as SeaFrance and it will be the death of sea travel in France."

Last time the union called for a 24 hour strike it lasted for one week, disrupting services and preventing hundreds of passengers and cargo from travelling across the Mediterranean. According to AFP, this resulted in a loss of two to three million euros.

Sarah Lloyd