After the social movement of SNCF controllers which caused the cancellation of one TGV out of two on Saturday February 17 and Sunday February 18 for the winter holiday crossover, the Minister Delegate in charge of relations with Parliament, Marie Lebec , did not exclude Tuesday from “sanctuary” strike-free periods in transport.
“The question of protecting the right to strike is essential, but I believe that we can question the use of the right to strike when we have a public service mission”declared the Minister Delegate on Sud Radio.
For meme Beak, “there are times when we can feel that we need to protect these periods”she added, when asked about the parliamentary initiatives of Republicans and centrist senators which aim to regulate the right to strike, particularly during school holidays or during major events.
” Enough is enough “the president of the centrist group in the Senate, Hervé Marseille, was particularly indignant in mid-February, author of a bill allowing the government to have an annual capital of sixty days of strike ban, distributed by decree within a limit of fifteen days per ban period. “If we were dealing with responsible people, we would not be obliged to imagine devices of this nature but we must protect the French”he declared.
“All options are open”
For meme Beak, “reflection on the subject can be debated in the Assembly”. “Do the modalities necessarily have to pass by law? Can this be the subject of an agreement or other with the union representatives? I believe all options are open”, she estimated. The Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, encouraged Parliament to take up this debate, deploring “a form of habit, each time [période de] vacation (…)to have the announcement of a strike movement » railway workers. “The French know that the strike is a right”but “also that working is a duty”he said.
” Pandora’s box “
“What must be protected is the right to strikereplied the general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, on Tuesday, interviewed by AFP. I remind the government that the right to strike is a fundamental right of workers, enshrined in the Constitution and in the fundamental norms of international law. The last government to ban the right to strike was Vichy. »
While freedom of movement is invoked to protect strike-free periods, “during the peasant demonstrations where they blocked roads and highways, we did not hear of any questioning of the right to strike”reacted the general secretary of UNSA-Ferroviaire, Didier Mathis, denouncing a ” Two weights, two measures “. Such a measure, “It’s opening Pandora’s box and once it’s opened, we don’t know how far it can go”he warned.
For SUD-Rail, “it’s a red line”insisted the federal secretary, Julien Troccaz. “Apart from adding fuel to the fire during the period, we don’t really see what purpose it will serve”he assured.