Paris (AFP)

Only 30% of TGVs will circulate Monday on the Atlantic axis because of the continuation of a strike of maintenance agents in the Paris suburbs, in a social climate always tense ten days after the accident of a TER on a passage to level in the Ardennes.

In the middle of the school holidays, the SNCF is forced to reduce the rate of its TGV Atlantic because of a movement continued since Monday, October 21 by 200 agents of the technicentre of Châtillon (Hauts-de-Seine), specialized in the daily maintenance trains.

The head of TGV Atlantique, Gwendoline Cazenave, told AFP Sunday of his "misunderstanding" against "a situation of extremism" that "penalizes customers" insofar as the object of the disagreement, "a project of adjustment of their working conditions" was "withdrawn as of Tuesday".

"Until today we have managed to maintain a very significant transport plan, with 80 to 90% of trains running but from tomorrow we move to a transport plan of 30%", lack of maintenance, has she announced.

This highly localized movement has a major impact given the Technicentre's strategic role in the day-to-day operation of TGV Atlantique.

"We are in a situation of blockage because the agents ask us the payment of the days of strike, which is totally unthinkable", but also "a premium to return to work," said Ms. Cazenave.

However, "we continue to dialogue", "progress" was made on the aspect of working conditions "but the payment of strike days is not possible," she said.

- "epidermal reaction" -

Specifically, Monday two round trips are planned on the Paris-Nantes line, two on Paris-Rennes, four on Paris-Bordeaux, and the SNCF will also serve "Toulouse, Hendaye, Poitiers, Quimper, Brest" so that "each destination is served even in limited numbers, "explained the director.

According to her, customers have been contacted by e-mail and will be able to obtain a refund or exchange their tickets at no cost.

According to Julien Troccaz, federal secretary of the SUD-Rail union who called for the strike and spoke earlier in the week, the railway workers protested against "a challenge to working conditions by management without any consultation" with the staff.

The site management had announced a cancellation of compensatory breaks for evening and weekend work, said Erik Meyer, also federal secretary of SUD-Rail. "The agents had an epidermal reaction, at the height of the violence of the announcements of the management," he had judged.

Neither Sud-Rail nor the CGT Cheminots could be reached on Sunday.

This new episode of disruption comes after a shambles that began the day before the school holidays after an accident of a TER at a crossing on October 16 in the Ardennes. This incident triggered a wave of work stoppages by drivers and controllers throughout France, based on the right of withdrawal in the name of safety.

The unions demanded the presence of a controller on board all TERs, which the management rejected, presenting them with several corrective measures to "further protect" the "warning equipment" of the regional trains.

In addition, the regional management of the SNCF ensures that "there is no disturbance planned for Monday" regarding the TER in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, disrupted by a social movement Sunday.

On the other hand, a strike is scheduled from December 5 by several unions of the SNCF against the pension reform.

Philippe Martinez, General Secretary of the CGT, will meet the High Commissioner for pensions Jean-Paul Delevoye Tuesday.

Thursday, a meeting is also scheduled between Mr. Delevoye, Secretary of State for Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, and the railway unions for a first consultation session.

The next day, the boss of the SNCF, Guillaume Pepy, will pass the torch to Jean-Pierre Farandou.

© 2019 AFP