The public railway group (GPF) is "confronted with a major change" with the railway reform, passed in 2018: end of the recruitment under railway status and passage in anonymous companies on January 1, "gradual opening to competition" of domestic transport travelers, "a requirement by the state for greater economic performance", the Court of Auditors said in a report published on Monday. As a result, the court calls on SNCF to continue its policy of cutting jobs "at the same pace" as in 2017. That year, SNCF had cut 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
"These developments require profound transformations" of the group's human resources policy to "enable better labor productivity, greater control of the wage bill and an adaptation of the historical social model", considers the Court. This report comes as on December 5, most of the SNCF unions called for a strike.
6,000 fewer posts between 2012 and 2017
The staff of the GPF have reduced by 6,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions "between 2012 and 2017" (1,200 per year on average), but "this effort" has suffered from a "slow implementation of the transformation programs. (notably for SNCF Réseau) ", requests from the transport authorities (regions, state) for more trains and services, as well as the" significant use "of temporary work and overtime, deplores the Court.
All companies in the group will have to reduce their workforce, she notes, noting that in recent years, the effort was "carried mainly by SNCF Mobilités" (trains and stations) and "to a lesser extent" by the holding company. head of the group, while jobs progressed at SNCF Réseau (traffic management, maintenance of railways). While SNCF Réseau had to "reduce staff with outsourcing" of work, "the number of staff in the infrastructure business is growing," the Court said.
To improve its productivity, the group "will necessarily" renegotiate the company agreement on the organization of work, she writes, pointing out "the unsuitability of the rules" to certain trades and activities, as well as "the sub- employment of certain staff ". The GPF will also have to "develop the versatility" of agents, the Court advocates, criticizing national or local agreements weighing on labor productivity (savings account time, package days, local uses ...).
"This report is a summary of shortcuts and ineptitudes"
In terms of remuneration, "the urgency" is "to review the rules of career progression" and "reduce the automaticity" of wage increases to be able to control the payroll, judge the Court. "This report is a summary of shortcuts and ineptitudes", a "new fire against the employees" of the SNCF, reacted the CGT-Cheminots. For the first union of the railway group, the "slight" increase in the workforce of SNCF Réseau is due to the "very strong increase in workloads, including regeneration work" of the network.
The Unsa railway also protested against a "new pamphlet to load", based "on some inaccuracies, or at least approximations". With this report, the Court, "once again, contributes to fuel a very anxiety-provoking social climate" and "the stigmatization of employees", regrets the second union of the SNCF.