A few hours before the start of a strike by SNCF controllers which will strongly affect traffic this winter holiday weekend, the leaders of the Republicans (LR) demanded, Thursday February 15, a reform to “frame” the right to strike, while those of the National Rally (RN) defended “the salary question” at the origin of the social conflict, while regretting the mode of action.
“We must say stop to those who take the French hostage”declared the president of LR, Eric Ciotti, on TF1denouncing the “permanent overbidding” of the SNCF unions which, according to him, “destroy their business”. Claiming that he “there has not been a year without a strike since 1947” in the public company, he announced his intention to “lay down legislative texts to regulate” the right to strike in transport.
Objective shared by the President of the Senate Gérard Larcher, who also deplored BFM-TV-RMC that users are “once again taken hostage to a social negotiation”. “The strike must be the ultimate weapon”but she is “become an instrument of negotiation”he added, wishing in turn “take measures which ensure that this use of the strike is not a hostage-taking”.
To do this, he intends to rely on a bill from centrist senators – allies of the right, a majority in the Senate – which plans to establish up to sixty days “during which there could be no strike notice”as explained on RMC their group leader Hervé Marseille, for whom “the right to strike is not threatened, but simply overused” In France.
The RN supports the demands, despite “the form”
On the far right, on the other hand, the RN, which is trying to capitalize on the social question and the issue of purchasing power, which it has made its hobby horse, stands on a crest line. The vice-president of the party, Sébastien Chenu, said this on Franceinfo “not in favor of banning the right to strike in our country”arguing: “I would never blame people who get up early for trying to defend their purchasing power. » Even if ” on Form (…) It’s complicated to understand that this is the time to make yourself heard” in the middle of school holidays, he added.
His fellow MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy also emphasized France Inter that “this strike puts the question of wages at the heart of the news”while regretting the “counterproductive mode of action” chosen by the unions, which “give arguments to the government to oppose their demands”. He added “regrets[r] that a certain number of unions always choose direct conflict and penalize users.”
Questioned, during a trip Wednesday morning, about the upcoming strike, the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, estimated that, if “the strike is a right”, “working is a duty “. He deplored “a form of habit, [toutes les fois que des vacances] arrive, to have the announcement of a strike movement » railway workers, adding that “it’s also the image of the SNCF which, each time, takes a hit.”
On Wednesday, the SNCF clarified that there would be “one in two TGV InOui, one in two Ouigo and one in two Intercités” which would circulate from Friday to Sunday, Wednesday afternoon during a press point, the strike however starting on Thursday evening. According to the CGT and SUD-Rail, who support the social movement first launched on Facebook by the National Collective of Commercial Train Service Agents (CNA), more than 70% of controllers have filed a strike notice.
Despite the salary concessions made by the company in recent weeks to try to avoid the strike, they are demanding better recognition of their profession and its constraints, in particular by the opening of negotiations on the adjustment of working hours. career.