Threats to Christmas. One month before the end-of-year holidays, traffic will be hectic on French rails. After the announcement of the dismantling of Fret SNCF and the opening to competition, the rail network unions called with one voice for a strike on November 21.
In a press release entitled “the time has come for conflict at the SNCF”, the CGT-Cheminots, Unsa-Ferroviaire, Sud-Rail and the CFDT-Cheminots warn that this day of strike is “an ultimatum” before “a movement longer and stronger strike in December” if the government and the SNCF do not respond to their demands.
The unions denounce not only “the liquidation of Fret SNCF” but also “the privatization of TER, Transilien and Intercités activities” as well as “the breakup of SNCF Réseau” as a result of the opening to competition.
Unions denounce “social dumping”
In mid-December, the first SNCF Voyageurs railway workers will be transferred to SNCF subsidiaries, created to respond to TER calls for tenders launched by the regions which have decided to open their railway network to competition.
“It is the unity of the unified public group that the CEO of the SNCF, on the front line, is exploding with his strategy of social dumping and unlimited financial profitability,” denounce the unions. They particularly fear the loss of social benefits during these transfers to the subsidiaries.
For them, it is “act 2 of the 2018 railway counter-reform” which transformed the SNCF into five limited companies to prepare for the opening to competition and remove the railway worker status guaranteeing certain advantages.
