Mayhem in the Part-Dieu sector this Thursday: the reasons for the disruptions

Illustrative photo of a CGT rally (Credit: Julien Barletta / Lyon Capitale)

SNCF railway workers were mobilized this Thursday, November 21 throughout France to denounce the reform of rail freight, which must be replaced by two subsidiaries after a slimming treatment. If at the national level the movement was little followed, the TGV Inoui like Ouigo circulating more or less normally, a demonstration took place in Lyon in the area of ​​the Part-Dieu station.

The CGT railway workers of Lyon had arranged to meet at midday at the Incity Tower. According to the prefecture, 130 demonstrators responded to the call for a demonstration which took place peacefully until 1:30 p.m.

Many buses affected

This demonstration caused significant disruptions to the TCL bus network. Buses C3, C4 and C13 were disrupted for more than an hour before traffic resumed normally around 1:30 p.m.

The unions who hoped to mobilize more widely had presented this day as an “ultimatum” before a renewable strike movement from December 11, if no response was provided to their demands. The CGT-Cheminots, Unsa-Ferroviaire, Sud-Rail and the CFDT-Cheminots are calling for a moratorium on the dismantling – without layoffs – of Fret SNCF, the leading public operator of rail freight transport in France.

The inter-union is also concerned about the creation of subsidiaries by SNCF Voyageurs to respond to calls for tenders launched by the regions to operate their regional express train (TER) networks and by the State for the Intercités. In mid-December, nearly 1,200 railway workers will be transferred for the first time to three of these subsidiaries, with the result being a less advantageous organization of working time in order to gain productivity and competitiveness.

This mobilization comes the day after the obligatory annual negotiations on salaries at the SNCF. The management of the railway group proposed a 2.2% increase, significantly less than previous years marked by high inflation, but more than the inflation forecast for 2025 (+1.5%).