The government has just opened the door to banning strikes in transport on certain dates. A “sanctuaryization” of very specific periods, mentioned by the delegate minister Marie Lebec.
Towards a ban on certain strikes? This Tuesday, February 20, 2024, the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament, Marie Lebec spoke about the SNCF controllers’ strike which affected many users last weekend. She announced on the microphone of South Radio do not rule out “sanctuarizing” periods without strikes in transport in the future. A decision which could be taken in the name of the “public service mission” of the SNCF. This government exit also echoes the legislative proposals from the Republicans and centrists in the Senate, drawn up on February 15.
Bills tabled by LR and the UDI
The president of the LR deputies in the National Assembly, Olivier Marleix, tabled a text a few hours before the start of the strike last week, to “prohibit strikes in public transport before and after school holidays and holidays“. The day before, the centrists of the UDI had already tabled a bill. And the centrist maneuver benefits from the support of the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher for whom “the strike must be the ultimate weapon” and not an “instrument of negotiation”.The bill tabled by the head of the group of UDI senators, Hervé Marseille, provides for determining up to 60 days per year “during which there could be no strike notice”. The senator believes that “the right to strike is not threatened, but simply overused.”
“There are times when we can feel that we need to protect these periods”
While departures in February vacation took place at the rate of train cancellations across the country, the Minister Delegate Marie Lebec considers in particular that it is legitimate to “question the use of the right to strike when we have a public service mission” -we could hear this Tuesday on South Radio. Despite the fact that “protecting the right to strike is essential, there are times when we can consider that these periods must be protected,” she judges.
From there to following in the footsteps of the Republicans and the centrists of the UDI after their proposed laws? “The reflection on the subject can be debated in the Assembly” she continues. “Do the modalities necessarily have to be passed by law? Can this be the subject of an agreement or other with the union representatives? I believe that all options are open.” In summary, the government does not seem to exclude any avenue, while the SUD-Rail union, the second largest force among switchers, has submitted a notice, from Friday February 23 at 11 a.m., until Saturday February 24 at 11 p.m. Another dark weekend is feared.