Pension reform: SNCF unions call for demonstrations on Saturday without going on strike

Holidaymakers in zones A and B can blow. The crossover weekend will not be disrupted by a railway workers’ strike. The four representative unions of the SNCF (CGT Cheminots, CFDT Cheminots, SUD Rail, Unsa Ferroviaire) have decided to simply call for the demonstration on Saturday February 11, the date of interprofessional mobilization against the pension reform.

“The objective is for everyone to be able to take to the streets and swell the ranks, confides Didier Mathis, secretary general of Unsa Ferroviaire. It would be counterproductive to block the trains. “The more people there will be in the street on Saturday, the more strength we will have to multiply the actions afterwards, adds a union source. Railway workers or other employees who work in the morning will be able to go to demonstrations in the afternoon. »

A “taste” of a renewable strike?

The idea had been put forward as early as last Wednesday, during the last meeting between the four organizations. The railway inter-union prefers to preserve the departures on vacation of the French rather than to harden the social movement in the immediate future with a view to preserving support for the mobilizations.

According to polls, nearly two-thirds of French people support strikes and mobilizations. “The government is already beginning to castigate the strikes and blockades, pointing to the crossover of February holidaymakers in the hope of turning public opinion against those who are fighting. It’s a waste of time and it’s a bad calculation, ”wrote the inter-union in a press release.

However, the railway workers do not “bar themselves in the future” from carrying out actions during school holidays. Already, Tuesday and Wednesday, the CGT Cheminots and SUD Rail are calling for a 48-hour strike. Traffic will be severely disrupted on Tuesday, the day of the interprofessional event. One in two trains will run on average for the TGV Inoui and Ouigo and 3 TER out of 10 according to the SNCF.

The two days of mobilization should give a “taste” of a possible renewable strike in the coming weeks. “It’s all about knowing when, and choosing the right time. We still have time before launching a tougher mobilization, ”said this union official.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.