With new methods and new tools, the strike out of control unions marks a turning point in the history of social movements in the public rail group.
by Eric Béziat
Despite the end of the strike, the strike continues … Twenty-four hours after the signing of an agreement between management and unions of the SNCF, which put an end to the conflict initiated by a collective of controllers, the movement does not weaken on this New Year’s Eve day. TGV cancellations have even increased, going from 30 % circulation deleted Friday December 23 to 40 % Saturday 24 and Sunday 25. Private family Christmas Eve travelers can always console themselves by knowing that everything should have returned to normal on weekends- New Year’s end. But for Christmas is too late: trains preparing several days in advance, they could not be reprogrammed overnight.
The conflict on specific claims of controllers, also called managers or ASCT (agents of the Commercial Train service), is atypical in many respects. Particularly followed for a Christmas weekend, it was worn by a group of controllers, the CNA (Collective National ASCT). As such, it marks a turning point in the history of strikes from the public railway group and illustrates what a form of social movement could be 2.0.
How is a conflict escaping the usual institutional framework of the SNCF, including union, could thus prosper until you seem out of control in an old house accustomed to social movements? Here are some answers.
poorly relayed alerts
“We have a social dialogue that does not work at high speed, observes, ironic, Sabine Le Toquin, national secretary of the CFDT railway workers and herself controller. It is wrong to say that the unions have not seen anything Coming. We have all seen the fire that was running, the fire ready to break out. From the COVVID, the situation was no longer tenable for the ASCT – pressure against customers, security incidents, mental load and lack of recognition. We We alerted. We were entitled to polished listening but no real feedback, no alert in TGV management, nor the SNCF travelers. “
As a whole, the unions incriminate the social reorganization of the SNCF which accompanied the creation of the CSEs (social and economic committees), replacing works councils. The new bodies have become enormous “things”, managing thousands of employees on vast territories, sometimes on a France level. The system led to the disappearance of 70 % of the staff representatives, elected representatives of proximity. “They managed to plow the field, to alert problems before they get angry and consolidate,” notes Fanny Arav, representative of the railway Unsa. “Now, you sometimes have to do 200 kilometers to find the one who will answer you, adds Ms. Le Toquin. Collectives arise from the absence of proximity to business management and with union organizations.”
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