woolybanana Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 The government is undertaking a much needed, in-depth reform of the SNCF which is highly likely to cause periods of substantial industrial action in the coming months. The biggest change will be the abolition of the statut de cheminot for new employees, which means that their cushy jobs for life with minimal work will slowly disappear. Naturally the unions are up in arms at this removal of their priviledged position in society and are, of course, planning all sorts of industrial action.So, guys, if you and yours have and rail trips planned, keep a close eye on what actions are planned and when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard51 Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Whilst I do firmly believe in national ownership of essential utilities, I do believe that the employees of public services in France do have contracts that are ridiculously too beneficial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 26, 2018 Author Share Posted February 26, 2018 Strangely, Richard, I do agree about the railways with certain reservarions though would debate other things like utilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Saw an SNCF person having a go at Macron at the Agricultural thingy in Paris, as Macron pointed out, his grandfather was a cheminot and trying to compare the days of steam to current trains is not at all the same boulot and reform is needed. I was shocked years ago when a friends husband, a train driver retired at 50 due to it being a 'dirty' job........ mon oeil!!! Worrying that they want to close very very important rural lines. Beeching all over again, and yet in the UK there is talk of reopening smaller lines now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard51 Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Just to clarify, WB, for utilities and nationalisation I don't mean ownership by companies owned by other nations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 26, 2018 Author Share Posted February 26, 2018 Government is NOT going to close the small lines, by the way The PM was very firm about that.Richard, they should be owned in such a way that government cannot interfere with them, but by the nation. However they should be run on commercial lines and have non srike agreements with compulsory arbitration. If not they will become obese, slow and expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard51 Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Good, Beeching was far too "commercial". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Not going to close lines?What hogwash, They are closing them. They closed several last year, several the year before last and no doubt several this year. Usual thing is that come the December timetable changes the train code in the timetable changes to one labelled "bus". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 26, 2018 Author Share Posted February 26, 2018 What I think will happen, Andy, as has been happening all over the place, is that the regions will take over the cost of upgrading and running the things, rhen, to get b ums on seats they will offer cheap travel concessions to people going to work, kids etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 26, 2018 Author Share Posted February 26, 2018 Thus far, there has been a call for an indefinite, general rail strike from 22 March, but some want to start earlier.This may well be the definitive struggle of Macron’s reign; if he loses, France is unreformable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard51 Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Agreed. And sad if that happens.Hope UK can reform in the other direction though and not fall into the right wing everybody for themselves, money is all ( a la american) system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Woolyb wrote:What I think will happen, Andy, as has been happening all over the place, is that the regions will take over the cost of upgrading and running the things, rhen, to get b ums on seats they will offer cheap travel concessions to people going to work, kids etc. Exactly - and the big problem then is what happens to lines that cross from one region to another? Answer, the regions cannot agree on who pays what and what subventions will exist. No maintenance gets done and the line closes. Problems on the trans- Massif Central lines, lines in the Jura and quite probably elsewhere.Unusually for France, there is a complete lack of central overview and control. Result chaos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 10 years ago (OK, I know!) I used or come visit before I came to stay completely and could travel from Lille to Narbonne sans changer ... now I have to change at Montpellier (horrible station) why????? Poor management and poor understanding of what the travelling public want. And nearly always they want me to go via Paris. Pourquoi,. C'est idio, when you can go to Lille Europe and only need to change platforms!!!!No wonder people fly or drive!! But I hope they sort it by June, I plan to travel by train to London!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 I think you can get a train from Narbonne to Avignon, then get the Eurostar direct to London, but I haven't checked that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Yes, you can go by train from Narbonne to Avignon town station, then the short shuttle train to Avignon TGV station and the direct Eurostar to St Pancras. Unfortunately it no longer runs all year round as it had become our favourite way to go to and fro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 No the Eurostars from Avignon and I think Lyon do not run all year round, or only (possibly for Lyon) one day a week ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 The CGT and CFDT rail unions have strikes planned starting March 22nd. I'm not surprised, considering the way that Macron and his minions are handling their plans to reform the railway worker's terms and conditions. And further industrial action could be on the horizon after Prime Minister Philippe said the reforms would be controversially pushed through by decree, which would allow the government to bypass parliament.Not the way to do it IMHO - hopefully Macron will learn from confronting these two powerful unions that there is more to being President than signing presidential decrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 The unions involved have held the country to ransom far too often. Time they were put back into their place in French society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 [quote user="woolybanana"]The unions involved have held the country to ransom far too often. Time they were put back into their place in French society.[/quote]And you think that "putting then back in their place" by using a presidential decree is going to work?By bypassing parliament? Isn't that what dictators do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 We shall see how parliament reacts in the long run, what goes around comes around. It also depends whether he has public support on the issue which yesterday’s poll seems to suggest that he does.One might also argue that the unions are undermining democracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Look on the bright side.Defunct railway lines make wonderful cycle routes.[:D]Expensive cycle routes, perhaps, but very enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 46 billion euros, the debt of the SNCF! Clearly it cant carry on as it is, being so subsidized by the taxpayer ( though some level of subsidy is needed). And competition is coming as the EU insists that competing train companies must run on SNCF rails soon.The CGT and other unions will find it hard to defend their position, I fancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 Taxpayers pay a figure of somewhere between 200 and 340 euros each (the numbers are disputed, of course) per annum towards running the railways.What do you consider the social and other values of the railways to be, and what is a fair figure to pay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 [quote user="woolybanana"]Taxpayers pay a figure of somewhere between 200 and 340 euros each (the numbers are disputed, of course) per annum towards running the railways.What do you consider the social and other values of the railways to be, and what is a fair figure to pay?[/quote]Or is the future of the french railway system similar to the unmitigated chaos and highway robbery of the UK system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 I certainly hope not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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