The chaos of December 2022 at the SNCF should not be repeated, despite threats from some unions.
Against the management’s agreement on salary increases for 2024, Sud-Rail (third union with 18% of staff) announced its desire to “build a strong mobilization” on the issue, calling for union unity and actions that could have led to big strikes during the Christmas holidays.
“On n’exclut rien”, soulignait il ya quelques jours Erik Meyer, secrétaire fédéral de Sud-Rail à l’AFP: “La possibilité d’avoir une ou plusieurs journées d’action en décembre qui engloberaient les grands départ est sur la table”.
As a reminder, the company proposes a general increase in fixed salaries of 1.8%. In addition, bonuses for the use of reserves (+25 euros per month) and night bonuses (+4%), Sundays and holidays (+4%) will be increased for all employees who receive these bonuses.
Without union unity
The company is also committed to increasing low salaries so that none are less than 1.1 SMIC. A shared value premium of 400 euros must also be paid to the group’s more than 140,000 railway workers.
But Sud-Rail’s call for unity was only followed by the CGT-Cheminots (32% representation). In fact, CFDT-Cheminots (15% of employees) and Unsa-Ferroviaire (22%) decided to sign the agreement.
Agreement whose measures will be applied in 2024 by the SNCF despite the signature of two of the four unions, according to our information.
In fact, for many railway workers interviewed by their unions, the weight of daily inflation influenced the decision to accept the SNCF proposal.
Simon*, driver and SNCF employee for more than ten years and member of Unsa-Ferroviaire, confirms this sentiment:
“That’s why it’s good that the unions sign, we have to take what we can,” he believes.
Individual actions?
However, these two signatures do not necessarily mean that there will be no disruptions; Some employees may take time off during peak periods as a sign of protest.
Furthermore, Sud-Rail will try to convince the CGT-Cheminots to go further during a meeting next Tuesday: “In any case, we will propose a strike in December,” Fabien Villedieu, South-Rail delegate, tells BFMTV.
Nor can the possibility of actions outside the unions be ruled out. The massive movement of December 2022 was led precisely by a collective of captains (controllers) independent of the unions. And the riots were very numerous, preventing families from getting together for Christmas.
It will also be necessary to monitor the changers, employees of SNCF Réseau, who denounce a significant lack of staff and who could launch a specific movement at the beginning of December, before the end of year holidays.
*The first name has been changed.
Source: BFM TV
