“There will be trains and planes” at Christmas, Transport Minister Clément Beaune promised. With the approach of the end-of-year holidays, the multiplication of social conflicts in the transport sector raises fears, however, of the opposite. A series of strike notices have been filed at various companies and negotiations between the unions and management appear to be at a standstill. Panorama of social movements still unresolved a few days before the Christmas holidays.
• On the train
Signalmen’s strike, controllers’ strike and now train drivers’ strike on the TGV Atlantique axis… At the SNCF, negotiations are taking place on all sides to avoid the catastrophic scenario of repeated strikes during the holiday period.
drivers
The last of the social movements: that of the drivers of the TGV Atlantic axis, which brings together an inter-union that groups the CGT-Cheminots, Unsa-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and the CFDT-Cheminots. The latter filed a strike notice last Thursday for the first weekend of the school holidays. The unions denounce the shortage of personnel that deteriorates the working conditions of the drivers and criticize the choice of the management to reduce the number of training courses.
A meeting was taking place on Tuesday afternoon to try to find a way out of the crisis and avoid massive train cancellations on a holiday departure weekend.
switches
Brief notice of strike the same weekend for the signalmen before the call of SUD-Rail, which reiterated on Tuesday night its desire to go to the end after a new meeting with the management. The rest of the unions have not joined the movement, so it is difficult to foresee the disruption that it could cause between Thursday, December 15 at 8:00 p.m. and Monday, December 19 at 8:00 a.m.
But a stoppage of work by the signalmen, without whom the trains cannot run, can have serious consequences. However, according to SNCF Voyageurs, it is still too early to report traffic forecasts.
controllers
On the side of the controllers, whose strike on the first weekend of December had caused the cancellation of almost two thirds of TGV and Intercités, the management launched several proposals to get out of the crisis. After a first meeting last week that seemed positive, the group of controllers that brings together some 3,400 members on Facebook does not reveal its intentions and has until Thursday to give its response. The vote is expected to take place on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, strike notices covering Christmas and New Year weekends have yet to be lifted.
• In the air
Air France
Despite fourteen meetings since September and negotiations still underway, the conflict between the Air France management and part of the flight attendants and stewardess unions appears to be at a standstill. At this point, it is difficult to imagine Unac and SNGAF, which together represent just over 50% of cabin crew (PNC), lifting their strike notice that runs from December 22 to January 2. “The strike continues,” Anne Vildy, UNAC’s general secretary, told AFP.
The agreement that regulates the working conditions of cabin crew ended at the end of October and management is negotiating a new one with the unions with the aim of closing it in March. Until then, Unac and SNGAF demand the “contractualization of their working conditions” which they consider threatened by the option of placing them under a “management note”, therefore unilaterally modifiable, which management disputes.
“Air France plans to transport all its customers and does not anticipate cancellations at this time,” says the tricolor company despite everything.
other companies
Other companies that provide services in overseas territories are also threatened by the strike. This is the case of Corsair from December 16 to 22 and Air Antilles from December 17 to 22.
The only encouraging news: the conflict between the cabin crew and the management of Easyjet’s French subsidiary seems to be on the way to a solution. “We are having encouraging discussions with the SNPNC and Unac unions,” company management said on Tuesday. So far, the unions have not filed any strike notices despite the threat to do so.
Source: BFM TV
