Pagaille avoided in trains, controversy around « strike breakers » and new call for mobilization – liberation
Disturbances located in regional trains and almost normal traffic on TGVs: the « Black week » Announced at the SNCF does not reach the magnitude hoped for by the group’s protest unions, who accuse the management of having recourse to « Strikes ». « There is a desire to completely invisible the conflict », The indignant Federal Secretary Sud Rail, Fabien Villedieu. His union, at the forefront in the disputecalled the drivers to go on strike on Wednesday, then the controllers for the whole weekend from Friday.
The CGT Cheminots announced this Wednesday, May 7, launching a new call to strike on Wednesday, May 7 for several days in June for different categories of railway company staff. The union, the first union organization at the SNCF, encourages « All railroad workers, from all trades, of all colleges to act by strike » June 5 « To impose on the management a negotiation content which meets our requirements ». She also calls for a driver strike on June 4 and a controller strike on June 11 on the sidelines of round tables organized for these sectors.
Sud Rail and the CGT Cheminots are demanding wage measures and better anticipation of schedules, too unpredictable for their taste. The other two unions, the UNSA rail and the CFDT railroad workers, did not call a strike.
« It is estimated that there are 40 % of train drivers on strike » Throughout France on Wednesday, says Fabien Villedieu. The most affected regions are Ile-de-France with an average of one in two deleted and New Aquitaine with only four TERs in circulation. TGVs ride them normally. At the start of the week, the disturbances mainly affected the Hauts-de-France, a stronghold of the CGT. On the TGV side, the controllers’ strike on May 9, 10 and 11 will not lead to the abolition of 10 % of trainsaccording to management.
The SNCF has managed to limit the effects of the strike by a massive appeal to « occasional support volunteers » (VAO), executives of the company having received express training and capable of replacing the heads of the on -board.
These « Mercenaries of strike » are « Archi-shaped and arch-surpayed people »gets carried away Fabien Villedieu. The VAOs benefit from seven days of training and are paid between 15 and 50 euros per hour depending on the type of service to replace the striking controllers. « It is not acceptable to instrumentalize in this way supervision »reacted the secretary general of the CGT, Sophie Binet. Sud Rail announced his wish to attack this device in justice.
However, according to a union framework of the SNCF, « The movement is not as followed as they (CGT and South) thought ». Some regions were almost spared, such as Center-Val-de-Loire, where there were 16 % of strikers among drivers on Tuesday.
Among controllers, the striker rate reaches 31 % for Friday, including around 60 % on the TGV, according to the declarations of intention of the employees. It could be a little higher on Saturday, indicates an internal management document.
« Among the controllers, this strike is not as popular as the previous ones », underlines the editor of the specialized letter Mobile and specialist in transport, Gilles enart. According to him, young controllers are not in line with the older ones, gathered within the National ASCT collective (CNA), and very committed to the questions of career and retirement rights.
« The majority of unions do not endorse categorical movements »he adds. There « Black week » has been avoided but « The hypothesis of a significant conflict was not credible »he judges. The strategy implemented by management with the use of VAOs has been more effective, says Gilles Daart.
“Anger will remain. We will not stop there ”warns Fabien Villedieu de Sud Rail. After the failure of the last movement against the dismantling of SNCF freight at the end of last year, the protesting unions play big on this file.
Update At 10 p.m. with the call to strike in June.
