“We will not give up”, warn striking bus drivers

See my news
Follow La Gazette du Val d’Oise

Thirteen days of strike and still not the slightest prospect of an end to the crisis. Since November 7, the Cergy-Pontoise Confluence bus network, 32 lines serving the former New Town as well as Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and Achères, has been paralyzed by a social conflict. This Tuesday, November 19, no buses are running. A habit for almost two weeks now. Between employees and management, dialogue is broken.

“We will not give up”

At the call of Fo, a renewable strike affects the network managed by Francilité Seine-et-Oise (Fso), a subsidiary of Lacroix & Savac, on behalf of Ile-de-France Mobilités. A social movement massively followed by drivers, supported in particular by the deputy Aurélien Taché (Lfi), the senator Pierre Barros (app. Pcf) and the Left Party 95.

The strikers denounce a deterioration in their working conditions and are fighting to maintain their social gains. “No to increasing working hours, no to reducing break times and working hours,” chant the striking drivers at the Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône depot.

“We will not give up, we have crossed the point of no return,” they whisper on this morning of Tuesday, November 19, drenched in heavy rain. We know it's a hassle for users, but we have no choice. We are not asking for an increase, we are only asking for dignified working conditions and the preservation of our achievements such as bonuses. There is a 500 to 600 euro difference in salary between veterans like us and new arrivals and management wants us to align with them… Work more to earn less, no question! »

Since September and its takeover by Fso, after fifty years of operation by Stivo (Société de transports interurbans du Val-d'Oise), the Cergypontain bus network has accumulated dysfunctions between cascading deletions, avalanche of delays and new puzzle numbering. To the great dismay of its approximately 80,000 daily users.

Meeting on Tuesday, November 12 in a community council, the elected officials of Cergy-Pontoise unanimously voted for a motion “for a rapid return to normal of the public bus service”. The president of the agglomeration, Jean-Paul Jeandon (Ps), had “firmly requested the normal resumption of public service from Monday, November 18, in the interest of Cergypontains and our entire territory”. In vain. “If this recovery was not assured”, the elected official demanded “the appointment of a mediator to restore social dialogue between management and bus drivers”.

Mediation

The complaint was heard by Ile-de-France Mobilités and its president, Valérie Pécresse (Lr). “As the transport organizing authority in Île-de-France, we are following the subject with the greatest vigilance, even if salary negotiations are the direct responsibility of the operator Francilité Seine & Oise. Nevertheless, and in order to find a solution as quickly as possible, we have decided to set up mediation this Sunday, November 17, between Lacroix & Savac and the unions, announces Ile-de-France Mobilités. We made this decision to help both parties move forward and find solutions. This mediation will be supported by Île-de-France Mobilités but without any representation mandate so as not to interfere in the discussions. We ask that the situation be resolved as quickly as possible and that users are no longer penalized. »

The mediation and the strikers also want to believe it. “We hope that this will resolve the situation, if we are there in the rain, it is because we are in distress…”

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.