Dispatchers’ strike: SNCF targets “every second TGV” this weekend

Holiday departures will be seriously disrupted from Friday. “Not all trains will depart” but “the goal is to have every second TGV running” this weekend, Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs, said on Franceinfo on Wednesday. The railway company suffered from the angry actions of controllers planned until Monday morning.

“We are going to make sure that as many trains as possible go into the snow. The goal is to ensure departures and returns to the snow, and I am confident of this,” assured Christophe Fanichet. Additionally, “there should be as many Uigos as there are Inuis,” he continued: “small budgets are just as much a priority.” As for child travelers, “we will do our best, I hope that almost all children will be able to leave thanks to our service” Junior & Cie, added the representative, who, however, offered an “apology” to the company “to all customers, all French people who, Unfortunately, they won’t be able to go on vacation this weekend.”

Controllers are being called to strike by SUD Rail and CGT Cheminots, as well as the ASCT National Collective (CNA). After a noticeable mobilization at Christmas 2022, they become active again, demanding higher wages, in the middle of the school holidays in zone C (Ile-de-France) and at the beginning of the holidays in zone A (Bordeaux, Lyon, Grenoble…). “An incomprehensible movement” for the SNCF leadership, criticized Christophe Fanichet on Franceinfo, recalling that “each controller in his post means 500 French people who can go on vacation.”

SUD Rail warned on Tuesday that the mobilization would be significant, expecting a figure of “between 70 and 80%” of strikers on certain TGV routes, particularly the south-eastern route serving Alpine ski resorts. “The management did not know how to respond to our demands and calm the anger,” Julien Troca, the union’s federal secretary, explained to the Parisian on Tuesday. The latter ideally wants an increase in the work bonus of €500 gross per month, but says it is willing to restart trains “if management cuts between €150 and €200”, more than double what controllers received at Christmas 2022. mobilization.

Only CFDT Cheminots withdrew its strike notice after a final meeting organized on Monday evening in the presence of the railway company’s CEO, Jean-Pierre Farandou. The latter assured on Tuesday morning on RTL that the SNCF will do everything to maintain “continuity of service” on the lines and that “all cities are served”, regretting, despite everything, that the group “cannot be fully in the meeting” on this issue . weekend departures on vacation.

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