The year is not starting under the best auspices at OUIGO. Three unions (CGT Cheminots, Unsa Ferroviaire, SUD Rail) of the SNCF denounce the “deplorable” state of the trains assigned to the low-cost model of the railway company. Between dirt, the presence of pests (cockroaches, bedbugs, etc.), blocked toilets, and even serious failure of rolling stock, which can “endanger” travelers and agents. The organizations are planning a “rally” this Friday, January 10 and are threatening a strike this weekend. “These are unacceptable comments,” says Jérôme Laffon, general director of OUIGO. I cannot accept that these subjects are treated in these terms, it is irresponsible, and false! »
In a long press release, first published by several local CGTs (notably that of Montparnasse), the inter-union says that an agent in a technician center encountered an axle in “poor condition”. Without his intervention, the train would have returned to the rails and a serious risk would have weighed on the passengers. The episode illustrates, for organizations, the poor general condition of equipment.
“Safety is, and has always been, our first concern,” insists Jérôme Laffon. Like any safety issue at SNCF, you have several recall loops, it turns out that in this case, the recall loops worked. The axle was treated and the train was only put back into circulation when the axle was repaired. »
“Dock cleaning” will be reinforced
As for the recurring problems of cleanliness in the trains, management recognizes them while minimizing them, even though it has initiated a major redevelopment project. They are above all the result of the economic model of the SNCF's low-cost offer, inspired by air transport. The railway company maximizes its trains, which make as many rotations as possible during the day, making a total of nearly sixty movements per day, with more than 1,200 people on board. The trains are completely cleaned at night. “At the end of the day, dirt can build up. We do everything possible to always guarantee a good travel experience, recognizes Jérôme Laffon. For pests, mainly cockroaches, the reams are treated at each alert. We only have two reports per month, barely. »
Faced with the union alert, management nevertheless put “proposals on the table” to improve its practices. First, “platform cleaning”, the time between the arrival and departure of the train, will be reinforced. Just like the one on board, made by a single agent. In this regard, management plans, among other things, to “improve the equipment” used, in particular to better clean the toilets, which are “98% in good working order”, underlines the director of OUIGO.
All that remains now is to find a way out with the unions. “Sustained social dialogue” is underway. The unions demand, among other things, an “exceptional bonus” of 1,000 euros for all OUIGO agents, on the move and sedentary, as a “repercussion of their degraded working conditions”. “A bonus is part of the discussions,” confides Jérôme Laffon. The subject is being discussed but it will depend on how the situation evolves. »
