Bad news for travelers who could experience a new strike on Friday February 23 and Saturday February 24. After the controllers this weekend, the switchers, or traffic officers, could follow suit. The latter denounce in particular their working conditions and the shortage of staff at their employer, SNCF Réseau.
SUD-Rail has therefore filed a strike notice from Friday February 23 at 11 a.m. until Saturday February 24 at 11 p.m. He points to unfulfilled promises from management following a social movement which already took place last May. He therefore wants a change in the organization of work, “massive recruitment” and “an increase in the operational traffic allowance to the tune of 300 euros per month”. This social movement would concern “the agents of all Infrastructure Operation Establishments (EIC)”, in other words the train switchers.
If the CGT Cheminots has not yet filed a strike notice, the union organization emphasizes that “new mobilizations are necessary to counter the SNCF management”. “It is urgent to increase the salaries of railway workers, recognize qualifications and improve working conditions,” she notes in a press release. “The level of responsibility in the control positions is not in line with the salary offered. Under these conditions, candidates leave the training courses or even their jobs as soon as they receive the first pay slips,” explains the CGT Cheminots.
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For his part, the boss of SNF Voyageurs, Christophe Fanichet, clarified on Franceinfo on Wednesday that it was still “too early to talk about this subject”. This Thursday, on France 2, the CEO said he was “confident that next week there will be no disruptions” thanks to “social dialogue”. If no solution is found, thousands of French people could still find themselves in trouble for the last weekend of the February holidays.