A reorganization of the Retournac station is once again mentioned by the management of the SNCF. Railway workers fear the closure of the ticket office and the elimination of jobs. Action is planned for Thursday.
In October 2022, SNCF management announced the elimination of three traffic officer positions at Retournac station. The CGT Haute-Loire railway union reacted quickly by alerting the press and mobilizing users, politicians and railway workers. Rallies had been organized at the station, forcing the regional council to take a position.
On October 14, 2022, the president of the Region, Laurent Wauquiez, went to the station and announced the abandonment of this reorganization. Two years later, the management of the SNCF would return to the charge, with the same project. For railway workers, “no reason justifies it. With the same number of trains per day, there is the same workload, therefore the same number of agents at the station! »
In a press release addressed to the media, the union indicates that “management boasts that this reorganization would have no consequences on the counter which would remain open, over a period of one year, renewable at its discretion, without any lasting solution is not proposed. We are not fooled, this speech is only intended to soften users and elected officials in order to then close the counter permanently. Without the presence of traffic officers at Retournac station, the slightest hazard on the line (incident, engine problem on a train, installation disruption, etc.) would cause major delays since no unforeseen train crossing could take place at Returnnac.” And added: “We will not accept the reduction of counter hours, extended travel times for users, or job cuts. As in 2022, the CGT cheminots Haute-Loire union will be able to respond to this new attack! »
On November 21, a day of national, unitary and all-service strike at the SNCF, the CGT railway union called for a rally at Retournac station “to force management to back down again. »
