French labour unions get ready to go on strike over Fret SNCF discontinuity

Four labour unions at France’s State railway continues to call for a moratorium on the discontinuity of Fret SNCF and have brandished the threat of strike action to further their demands. Following the meeting with the French minister of transport, the unions immediately triggered an industrial relations procedure designed to prevent industrial relations conflicts.

At the meeting with four unions, (CGT, UNSA, SUD-Rail and CFDT) the minister of Transport, François Durovray, confirmed the government’s decision to proceed with the liquidation of Fret SNCF by the end of the year. Consequently, the unions, which have been loudly against the initiative for quite some time, launched the procedure.

First conciliation meeting next week

This makes provision for urgent consultations with management and an initial ‘conciliation’ meeting is due to take place next week. “This procedure allows us to give notice of strike action and we have a united desire to exert pressure over the coming weeks,” explained Sud-Rail spokesperson, Julien Troccaz. The same unions already discussed the possibility of strikes in this context at the end of September.

In a statement, the unions underlined that, while there is an urgent need to tackle climate change and boost the role of rail, the French government is doing the exact opposite in reducing the SNCF Group’s rail freight offering. More than 20 of Fret SNCF’s best-performing routes have in fact been handed over to rivals with a consequent loss of 500 jobs.

A change of plans remains unlikely

The prospect of an about-turn on the French government and it deciding on a moratorium on the discontinuity of Fret SNCF appears to be very slim and would in any case require the agreement of the European Commission. “It’s difficult to see this happening,” a source close to the matter told Railfreight.com. Following the liquidation of Fret SNCF, two new companies will come into service from the start of next year – one specialising in rail freight, but with a restricted scope of activity compared to Fret SNCF – and the other in locomotive maintenance.