SNCF: national strike on July 6 for a salary increase

Europe 1 with AFP 3:28 p.m., June 24, 2022

The conflict over wages extends to railway workers: three of the four representative unions of the SNCF are calling for a strike on July 6, the eve of the summer holidays, to demand wage increases in the face of soaring inflation.

“The context of concern and anger is there”, poses Fabien Dumas, federal secretary SUD-Rail whose union, with the CGT-Cheminots and the CFDT-Cheminots, calls for mobilization.

"Between the opening to competition and eight years of salary freeze, everyone wonders what sauce it will be eaten," he adds.

Management remains silent in the face of union demands

According to the unions, salaries at the SNCF have not been revalued since 2014. Inflation, which accelerated in May to 5.2% over one year and affects many expenditure items (energy, transport, food) affects “Hardly the railway workers” who “suffer a sharp and strong decline in their purchasing power”, write the unions in a press release.

On June 16, they had made a "request for immediate consultation" on the question of wages to the president of the SNCF Jean-Pierre Farandou, remained a dead letter.

“The management refused to receive the trade union organizations (…) referring the exchanges to ongoing bilateral meetings”, deplores the press release.

The management has nevertheless planned a round table with the social partners on July 6, the day that the unions have chosen to organize this strike and also the day before the start of the summer holidays.

SNCF, which is preparing for a record summer with eight million tickets already sold, or "10% more than in 2019", declined to comment.

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Railway workers worry about the pace of what is being asked of them

Faced with criticism of an insufficient supply from the SNCF, with many trains already full, CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou assured Thursday on France 2 to be "on the block".

"We add oars, we make double compositions with two oars at the same time", he detailed, welcoming the mobilization of the railway workers.

Thursday, Le Parisien revealed that a dozen trains on the southeast axis had to be canceled this week due to maintenance problems blocking trains at the workshop.

A failure linked to the lack of staff among technicians, accused SUD-Rail.

Nothing to do, replies the SNCF, which attributes the problem to a personal accident on Sunday afternoon.

It "had a big impact on the Gare de Lyon with many delays" which led to "shifting the entire maintenance cycle", therefore canceling certain trains, a spokesperson told AFP on Friday.

However, the unions are concerned about the pace that is required of them for this summer.

"We are told to make more trains, but the means must still be put in place", worries Thomas Cavel, general secretary of the CFDT-Cheminots.

"We have an activity that is going well, but what is the share of redistribution in all of this?", He asks.

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The CEO of the SNCF recognizes a "difficult period"

Railway workers are asking for "measures to catch up with salary inflation", but also "a general increase in salaries and the revaluation of bonuses" or even "a revaluation of all allowances, gratuities and indemnities".

Unsa-ferroviaire has not yet joined the strike call and will give its response to its participation on June 28th. 

Various strike movements are currently agitating the SNCF, particularly in Île-de-France, with traffic disrupted by works that lead to last-minute changes to drivers' schedules, denounced by the unions.

Asked about these movements, Jean-Pierre Farandou recognized a "difficult period", especially in the Paris region for users and drivers, and indicated that discussions with the social partners were "engaged" with "all the options" on the table. .