This project is the culmination of a plan negotiated between the European Commission and the French State, suspected of having paid aid to Fret SNCF in violation of competition rules.
Catherine Vautrin in Le Havre, November 7, 2024. (AFP / LOU BENOIST)
Despite the strike notices, there will be no moratorium on the dismantling of the SNCF freight branch, confirmed Wednesday, November 13, the Minister of Partnership with the Territories, Catherine Vautrin.
The minister, responding to communist deputy Nicolas Sansu who called for a moratorium, stressed to the National Assembly that the transformation of rail freight was “a European obligation”. “The liberalization of the sector has been to the detriment of the modal share” of the train in the transport of goods, according to Nicolas Sansu.
“The path taken is madness (…). It is a crime against the environment”
underlined the member for Cher.
The subject is being “monitored” by the government and will be “discussed” with the new European commissioners, replied Catherine Vautrin, whose responsibilities include Transport.
The government is “determined to make rail freight a pillar of the decarbonization of the transport sector”
underlined the minister, assuring that “no layoffs will take place in this project”, and that “all flows” of goods will be “maintained on the rail”.
Negotiation with the European Commission
Leader in rail freight transport in France, Fret SNCF will disappear on January 1 to be reborn in the form of two separate companies: Hexafret for freight transport, and Technis for locomotive maintenance.
This is the culmination of a plan negotiated between the European Commission and the French State, suspected of having paid aid to Fret SNCF in violation of competition rules. There were two options: either negotiate a “discontinuity plan” causing the Fret SNCF entity to disappear and allowing prosecution to be avoided; or take the risk of going to litigation and losing, with
the obligation to repay 5 billion euros
which would have led to the liquidation of the company which employs 5,000 employees.
The SNCF union organizations are calling for a moratorium on this dismantling, and are calling for a strike from Wednesday, November 20, 7 p.m. to Friday, November 22, 8 a.m., but also for a renewable strike from Wednesday, December 11. Catherine Vautrin assured Wednesday that the Minister for Transport was “listening” to the European Commission but also to “the SNCF and its social partners”.
