The conflict mainly affects TERs in several regions (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est, Occitanie and Paca) and certain lines in Ile-de-France (C, D, E and N) .
mo12345lemonde with AFP
If the strike promises to be not very followed by the SNCF, the negotiations which open on Wednesday December 7 on wages promise to be crucial for the public group which wants to avoid strikes during the holiday season.
This Wednesday, no massive cancellation of trains like last weekend with the controllers’ strike, but localized problems.
The conflict mainly affects TERs in several regions (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est, Occitanie and Paca) and certain lines in Ile-de-France (C, D, E and N) . Cancellations are also possible on certain TGVs or intercités, in particular on the Paris-Lyon axis as well as for all TGVs south of Bordeaux.
This strike has the sole purpose of “putting pressure on management”, assures Cédric Robert, federal secretary of the CGT-Cheminots.
It follows three days of mobilization on July 6, September 29 and October 18, all on the issue of wages. A first increase had also been granted after the July strike with +3.7 % for small wages and +2.2 % for executives, according to management.
But inflation has not slowed down since, even reaching +6.2 % in November over a year. The CGT therefore requests an increase in wages at least equivalent and above all, retroactivity on January 1, 2022.
On the south-rail side, which predicts “record results” for the SNCF in 2022, we ask for 400 euros gross in addition per month for all. In the first half, the rail group gave a net profit of 928 million euros.
The CFDT-Cheminots requests the retroactivity of wage measures taken in July 1 to January 1, 2022 and a “13 e months for all railway workers”. As for the UNSA-Ferroviaire, the only union not calling on the strike, it wishes to see wages increase by at least 5 %.
“Be careful, if wages increase too much, the price of tickets will eventually increase. This is a cost, the payroll”, warned the CEO of the Jean-Pierre Farandou group last Thursday. He called to “find a balance between ticket prices on the one hand, increase in railway workers on the other”, but also “have resources to innovate and to invest”.
“We ask that there are very clear announcements on a general increase in wages and work premiums” on Wednesday, insisted Cédric Robert of the CGT. “If we go out without announcement of this type, (management) will complicate things in terms of social climate,” he warned.
The climate was already well tense within the company, since the controllers threaten to strike on Christmas and New Year weekends. They will also be received on Thursday to avoid such a scenario.
Sterers must also sit with management on Friday. They demand recruitments and a salary more in line with their responsibilities.
After a first threat of strike not carried out on May 25, they had obtained the recruitment of 200 additional traffic agents, a bonus of 600 euros and a temporary increase of 20 % of their work bonus for seven months.
The company “did not keep its commitments,” said Erik Meyer de Sud-Rail. A strike notice was therefore again filed, this time from December 15 to 19, for the first weekend of the end of year holidays.