The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, demanded this Thursday that the SNCF management resolve “in the next few hours” the controllers’ strike that caused the cancellation of many TGVs during the Christmas weekend.
“What we expect from the SNCF management today is that it finds a solution in the next few hours, I mean in the next few hours. This is the responsibility of the management of the SNCF, it has the support of the State, it must find the ways and means to get out of this conflict”, declared Bruno Le Maire on Sud Radio.
“It is a measure that makes me angry, angry at the clients who are deprived of the Christmas holidays”, insisted the minister.
According to the SNCF, the controllers’ strike will cause the cancellation of two of the five TGVs on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 December, which would affect some 200,000 passengers. Since November, the public railway company has been fighting to establish a dialogue with the group of controllers at the origin of this social movement. They want better recognition. Regardless of the unions, they still had to rely on them to file notices.
“Enough of repeated blows”
The management has already proposed to increase the “work cousin” of the captains (official name of the controllers) by 600 euros per year, as well as an additional allowance of 600 euros gross per year. Proposals that the strikers considered insufficient.
“We must be in a country where the rules are respected. The rules are that there is a president of the public company who must discuss with the representatives of the legitimate, responsible employees, who are called the unions,” insisted Bruno Le Maire.
“In a moment I say enough of repeated strikes despite the fact that there have been wage increases, enough of the blockades despite the fact that there have been rapprochements that have been made with the strikers, and enough of these difficulties for our compatriots who are already in the middle of an inflationary crisis, (…) who are living their first Christmas without Covid, and who have the right to rest and serenity.
Source: BFM TV
