While the CGT and SUD-Rail call the controllers to strike this weekend, in the middle of school holidays, the CEO of the SNCF called on them “to think” and “to take into account the dimension” of the concessions made by the management, before carrying out their threat. “We are increasing employment, we are increasing wages, we are offering a platform for social progress, I do not see why in response we would have a disruption for the French who want to go on vacation,” said Jean-Pierre Farandou on RTL, Tuesday February 13.
To try to avoid the strike movement in the middle of school holidays in zone C (Ile-de-France) and at the start of those in zone A (Bordeaux, Lyon, Grenoble, etc.), management has decided to pay a new bonus of 400 euros for railway workers in March, announced an increase in the residence allowance for employees living where the real estate market is in tension, agreed to 3,000 additional promotions and promised the creation of 1,100 additional jobs (including 200 controllers), according to the CEO. He believes that the other demands, linked to the work bonus for controllers and the gradual cessation of activity, must for their part be treated “cold”.
The UNSA did not file a strike notice, while the CFDT-Cheminots lifted its notice after the announcement of these concessions. But these announcements do not quench the anger at SUD-Rail. “Given the results of the latest negotiations and the proposals that are on the table, very, very, very far from the demands of the controllers (…), I do not see how we could not go as far as conflict this weekend”, declared Tuesday Fabien Villedieu, union delegate at SNCF, also speaking to RTL.
The traffic plan planned by the SNCF communicated on Wednesday
While a bonus of 400 euros for controllers has been promised, he believes that this is not enough: “What we want are lasting measures.” The representative of SUD-Rail notably defended instead "a gross monthly increase of 150 to 200 euros", while denouncing the communication and the "unclear measures" of management.
“It’s complicated to say yes to everything, because it’s also the boss’s role to say what is possible and what is not,” said Jean-Pierre Farandou. He particularly insisted on the need for “social coherence” between the different professions within the group, believing that “it is not because we have the capacity to annoy the French that we should obtain more”.
As a disrupted weekend in the stations approaches, “I really regret that the SNCF cannot be completely there,” he said, promising that “all cities will be served”. “If today I manage to convince a controller not to strike, that’s 500 more French people who can go on vacation,” he further explained.
The SUD-Rail union delegate announced for his part on BFM-TV/RMC that the movement promises to be very “followed”: “Today, the declaration rates that we have, it depends on the depots and the controllers, but it goes at least between 60% and 90%.” Enough to disrupt rail traffic, since most trains are not authorized to run without controllers. However, these figures are currently unofficial, while the SNCF must communicate its adapted traffic plan for the weekend on Wednesday morning, depending on the scale of the social movement.
