Jean-Pierre Farandou, the current chief of the French railway holding SNCF, will step down on 13 May. However, he will maintain his position until a successor is named, which will be after the Paris Olympic Games coming this summer.
Farandou has been under the spotlight over the past couple of days after France’s Finance and Economic Affairs minister, Bruno Le Maire, said he would summon him to discuss an ‘early retirement’ agreement with the four main labour unions. The agreement, signed at the end of last month, gives SNCF staff a better end-of-career deal than under previous provision schemes. Some say this agreement was a means to avoid possible strikes during the Olympics.
In a press release, the French government now said that Farandou’s term, which started in 2019, has come to an end. The document did not provide any reason for the termination of Farandou’s term. However, it was co-signed by Le Maire, who highlighted that Farandou has to be held accountable for not keeping him informed about the early retirement deal. The minister pointed out that such an agreement circumvents a 2023 French reform law.
Also read: