It's a ritual that has the gift of making the French angry.
School holidays too often rhyme with a strike at the SNCF.
In 2019, at Christmas, railway workers had already taken passengers hostage to defend their advantageous pension plan.
Two years later, TGV drivers on the south-east axis (Paris-Lyon-Marseille), who demanded more bonuses, lifted their walkout notice at the last minute.
This did not prevent the cancellation of 50% of the TGVs on the Friday of departure for vacation.
At the end of 2022, the controllers had put down their bags so that their status (promotion, remuneration, etc.) could be upgraded.
Result, 200,000 passengers remained at the dock at Christmas.
Today, it is again the controllers who are triggering a social movement, from Friday February 16 to Sunday February 18, in the middle of the winter holidays.
They believe that the promises made at Christmas 2022 have not been kept.
Read alsoSNCF: significant salary increases over the last three years
On Wednesday, the train operator warned that disruptions would be significant.
“Despite three crew chiefs out of four strikers, we will ensure one TGV out of two thanks to the reinforcement of volunteers,”
explains Alain Krakovitch, director of TGV-Intercités.
Essentially, these replacement controllers are executives authorized to do this job.
Concretely, there will be one TGV inOui in two, one Ouigo in two and one Intercités in two.
All passengers must have been notified by SMS on Wednesday of the continuation or cancellation of their train.
They will be able to have their ticket refunded in full or change their ticket free of charge.
“Between Thursday and Monday, 300,000 places will be available,”
underlines Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs.
And the SNCF promises compensation: a 50% discount on the next train trip.
In the meantime, the French will relive scenes of chaos in stations from Friday.
One more crisis for Gabriel Attal.
Barely appointed head of government, he had to manage the social explosion of farmers.
While this first conflict has not definitively ended, he is confronted with a new protest movement.
The Prime Minister chose to speak firmly, unambiguously deploring
“a form of habit at each school holiday period of having the announcement of a strike movement”
.
Before driving the point home:
“The French know that the strike is a right”,
but
“also that working is a duty”.
Collective on Facebook
A political line which is in line with the exasperation of many SNCF customers.
“Since their job is to be at the service of users, we do not understand how they can have such little consideration for these users,”
complains Bruno Gazeau, president of Fnaut (National Federation of User Associations of transport).
According to a survey by the CSA institute, 52% of French people are in favor of banning transport strikes during school holidays.
This is already the case in Italy.
As for the CEO of the SNCF group, Jean-Pierre Farandou, he is monitoring this strike very carefully.
While his term at the helm of the company will end in the spring, he is applying to continue running the old lady railway until he turns 68, at the end of spring 2025. He holds the rope, because , a few months before the Olympic Games where public transport will be put to the test, it is difficult to see the executive changing captain at the SNCF.
But he knows well that poor management of the conflict would discredit him.
Read alsoStrike at the SNCF: how Jean-Pierre Farandou tries to defuse the social conflict
This movement, like that of Christmas 2022, is admittedly a little special.
It is a collective of controllers united around a Facebook group which is in charge.
SUD-rail, the first, recovered the movement.
The CGT-railworkers, not wanting to be overtaken, also called for a strike, even if the Montreuil central office takes a dim view of the categorical demands.
“With the prospect of elections of employee representatives to the board of directors, at the end of March-beginning of April, the unions are heating up,” explains an expert.
It’s who can push the envelope the furthest.”
However, financially, the controllers are not badly off.
Including their bonuses linked to travel constraints, these professionals recruited at baccalaureate level can earn up to 3,500 euros net at the end of their course.
More than a certified teacher, holder of a bac + 5, who ends his career at just over 2,800 euros.
Automatic increase after four years, creation of a specific department to manage their career, gradual transition to two controllers per TGV… The controllers had obtained significant progress during their strike at Christmas 2022.
Overbidding
But they believe that these measures have not been fully applied.
Statements against which the SNCF vigorously rejects:
“I find this strike incomprehensible because all the commitments made by the company have been kept,”
thunders Christophe Fanichet.
Thus, the presence of two crew chiefs on TGVs, currently 87% assured, will increase to 92% during the year and to 100% in 2025. And, financially, their situation has improved further.
“I am a little surprised by this strike this weekend because it was recorded by the management of the bonuses and salary increases which many of our fellow citizens envy,”
argues Patrice Vergriete, the new Minister of Transport, which specifies:
“The category of agents who are mobilizing this weekend have greatly benefited from it, with almost 20% salary increase in two years.
»
Inflation is expected to peak at 13% over the three years 2022-2024.
Bonus of 400 euros, revaluation to 100 euros of the residence allowance in tense areas… Jean-Pierre Farandou has again untied the purse strings over the last seven days.
Not enough for the controllers, who are outbidding and are now asking that part of their bonus (at least €150) be included in the salary which serves as the basis for setting the retirement amount.
The SNCF management, which does not want to negotiate with a gun to its head, says no, for once.
She knows well that if she bowed to the controllers, other trades would ask the same thing.
The government certainly has the same plan in mind.
Moreover, the rail switchers have already filed a strike notice for the weekend of February 24 and 25...