A decisive week of negotiations opens at the SNCF with discussions on wages and, in sight, the end-of-year celebrations, threatened by several strike notices.
After a massive strike by the captains - the official name of the controllers - and the cancellation of 60% of the TGV and Intercités this weekend, the SNCF is already preparing for a new day of mobilization on Wednesday.
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This time, all the staff of the public group are called to stop work by the CGT-Cheminots, SUD-Rail and the CFDT-Cheminots, in order to influence the mandatory annual negotiations (NAO) which open this day- the.
The challenge: the revaluation of wages for the year 2023 while inflation continues its course (+6.2% over one year in November) and that the public group faces the explosion of energy costs , while being forced to limit the increase in ticket prices.
“
The SNCF will announce, at the end of the year, record results
”, advance SUD-Rail which calls for a substantial increase in wages.
In the first half, SNCF announced a net profit of 928 million euros, against a loss of 780 million over the same period in 2021.
Unions demand higher wages
SUD-Rail therefore asks for an additional 400 euros gross per month for everyone, when Unsa wants a 5% increase in wages.
These negotiations take place in a tense period with the approach of the end of year celebrations with the conflict of the controllers which already poses the threat of a strike over the weekend of Christmas and that of the New Year.
The collective behind the anger movement will be received on Thursday with the Unsa, SUD-Rail and CFDT unions to try to consider a way out of the crisis.
“
We are going there in the spirit of finding solutions
,” Nicolas Limon, one of the founders of the National Collective ASCT (CNA), which brings together nearly 3,000 controllers on a dedicated Facebook page, told AFP.
“
Our line of sight is to lift the notices
,” he reassured.
"
We won't be difficult, but we want serious things and no smoke
," insists Nicolas Limon, who makes it a priority to take into account the captains' bonuses in the calculation of retirement and a more career development. fast and less "
opaque
".
For the moment, the management has proposed an increase in the work bonus of 600 euros per year, "
which is equivalent to around 40 euros net monthly
" and is considered insufficient, according to the secretary general of Unsa-Ferroviaire, Didier Mathis.
Despite everything, the union official wants to be optimistic about a possible outcome to the conflict: “
The case is rather well underway
,” he says.
The Angry Switchmen
But the controllers are not the only ones to agitate the threat of a strike at the end of the year.
The traffic controllers filed a notice from December 15 to 19, the first weekend of the holidays.
"
We are in a pattern of failure of social dialogue
", annoys Erik Meyer, federal secretary SUD-Rail.
“
We had a first sequence with a strike threat on May 25.
It had been lifted because the box had undertaken to put things in place, but it did not keep its commitments
, ”explains Erik Meyer.
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Switchmen complain of a chronic understaffing and of too low remuneration in relation to their responsibilities.
They must be received by management on Friday to also find common ground and avoid a strike during the holidays.
"
Between the understaffing at SNCF Réseau (on which the signalmen depend, editor's note), inflation and the pension reform that is coming, all put together, the situation is starting to be socially tense
," laments Didier Mathis.
Last year, a strike had already disrupted Friday Christmas holiday departures on the TGV South-East axis before it was lifted at the last moment for the rest of the weekend thanks to the granting of a premium for drivers and controllers.
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