The feared chaos did not occur at the SNCF on Thursday, November 21, when the railway workers mobilized little to say no to the disappearance of Fret SNCF, which must be replaced by two subsidiaries after a weight loss treatment. The TGV Inoui and Ouigo circulated more or less normally, but only seven out of ten TER trains and one out of every two Intercités were circulating compared to normal. On the RER D, one of the most affected lines in the Paris region, there were finally a few more trains than expected: two trains out of five (instead of one out of three).
This half-hearted mobilization is a failure for the unions, which tried to mobilize strongly after the announcement of the dismantling of Fret SNCF in early November. They had presented this day as a “ultimatum” facing a renewable strike movement starting December 11, if their demands are not responded to. “The French do not want this strike at Christmas, we understand them and, above all, there are no reasons”SNCF Director General Jean-Pierre Farandou told RTL on Thursday.
“The moratorium is no”
The CGT-Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and CFDT-Cheminots are calling for a moratorium on the dismantling – without layoffs – of Fret SNCF, the first public rail freight transport operator in France. “The minister [délégué aux transports] I said it again recently, the moratorium as such is a no”recalled Farandou, specifying that the conditions for the transfer of Fret SNCF railway workers to the new subsidiaries (Hexafret and Technis) could be discussed. Two-thirds of the 500 employees whose jobs were eliminated have already been relocated to other companies in the group, he also insisted.
“The national figures [de la mobilisation] They are not terrible »recognized during a general meeting organized at the Lyon station, the federal secretary of SUD-Rail, Fabien Villedieu. “I know that many colleagues do not feel worried but no one will be protected”launched Villedieu, while an opening of the capital of Rail Logistics Europe, which brings together the freight transport activities of the SNCF, is planned for 2026. The SNCF will continue to be the majority, however, the group’s management insists.
“What is happening with freight transport is exactly what is happening with passenger transport, especially in the TER”recalled Thierry Nier, of the CGT-Cheminots, on Wednesday. In fact, the inter-union is concerned about the creation of subsidiaries by SNCF Voyageurs to respond to the tenders launched by the regions to operate their regional express train networks (TER) and by the State for the Intercités. In mid-December, around 1,200 railway workers will be transferred for the first time to three of these subsidiaries, which will mean a less advantageous organization of working time to gain productivity and competitiveness.
This mobilization occurs one day after the mandatory annual negotiations on salaries at the SNCF. The management of the railway group proposed an increase of 2.2%, significantly less than in previous years marked by high inflation, but higher than the inflation forecast for 2025 (+1.5%). A proposal qualified as ” joke “ by Fabien Villedieu during the general assembly, while “SNCF is the most profitable railway company in Europe”.
The four union federations will meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the continuation of the movement.
