The union representing railway employees is mobilizing this Thursday, November 21 to denounce the dismantling of Fret SNCF and the opening to competition. A final warning before the “indefinite strike”.
It will be “the last warning” before unlimited mobilization. This Thursday, November 21, the CGT-Cheminots, the UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and the CFDT-Cheminots are striking to mark their opposition to the dismantling of Fret SNCF.
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This is part of a discontinuity plan negotiated by the State and the European Commission. The goal: to avoid a recovery procedure and the liquidation of the SNCF, after the European policeman opened an investigation against France, suspected of having paid 5 billion euros in aid considered illegal to Fret SNCF between 2005 and 2019.
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SNCF: unions call for an indefinite strike from December 11
10% of staff cut
An agreement that does not suit all three railway unions. “Nearly 500 railway workers will switch to the private sector, but in total 10% of the Fret SNCF workforce will be cut, deplores Patrick Pont, CGT-cheminots representative in Carcassonne. Not to mention that we will cede 30% of traffic to the private sector, i.e. 20% of turnover and 40% of our assets.”
Towards a “ghost station”?
Carcassonne station, for example, will lose two shunting agents and a person dedicated to ticket sales. “Carcassonne will become a ghost station where we will watch the train go by without being able to take it”said Alain Rousseau, CGT representative of retired railway workers.
However, many travelers see in this dismantling and this opening to private markets a possibility of improving traffic conditions. “It's a false belief, assure Patrick Pont. In reality, when there is a problem on a track, the train is immobilized. It doesn’t matter what company.”
If they are not satisfied, the railway workers warn that they will resume the strike on Wednesday December 11, this time indefinitely. The end-of-year holiday rush could therefore be disrupted.
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