While they are already organizing a one-day strike on November 21, the SNCF unions are announcing an indefinite strike from December 11.
The four representative unions of the SNCF, namely CGT Cheminots, Unsa Ferroviaire, SUD Rail, CFDT Cheminots, filed a strike notice on Saturday, November 9 for two dates. One from Wednesday, November 20, 7 p.m., to Friday, November 22, 8 a.m. – a period already announced and known. The other, renewable, from December 11, 7 p.m., informs The Parisian. Just two weeks before the start of the end-of-year holidays.
In a joint statement, the unions warned at the start of the week that the one-day strike at the end of November was a sort of ultimatum. “We said that November 21 was a warning before a tougher and longer movement. We are moving from words to action,” said Julien Troccaz, SUD Rail federal secretary, at Parisian. Trade union organizations are reacting to the lack of “inflection” from the group’s management, indicates RMC. This second strike period is unlimited, renewable for periods of 24 hours. It is currently difficult to know how long it will last, and whether it will disrupt Christmas celebrations.
The unions oppose the “creeping privatization” of the railway company. In detail, they denounce the “privatization in TER, Transilien and Intercités activities”, with the opening of subsidiaries to respond to calls for tenders, as well as “the breakup of SNCF Réseau”. And above all, the unions want to prevent the dismantling of Fret SNCF, split into two new companies in 2025 with 10% fewer employees. A set of measures which would lead to “massive job cuts” and “the deterioration of working conditions”, they believe.