On the RER A no RADIUS came yesterday brighten the sky of the conflict

Snow is expected and a notice on the Metro and buses which should be added to the ongoing conflict on the RER A: everything is brought together to make today a difficult time for the Paris public transport. RER A will know its eighth consecutive strike day, offering trains (one in two) and peak hours. Small consolation for users, the traffic should be near normal on the Metro and normal buses, despite the movement launched by 4 unions to protest against the sanctions of the RATP against one of its employees.

On the RER A, no RADIUS came yesterday brighten the sky of the conflict. After two days of discussions Friday and Monday, and then a real bargaining Tuesday evening, the RATP headquarters meeting rooms remained empty. Management and unions are returned responsibility for this lack of progress.

"We are still waiting for a position of the trade union organizations on the proposals we made Tuesday night", explains a framework for governance. "We have already explained them the same evening that it did not meet our expectations, we are waiting for a new meeting", replied a trade unionist, who accuses the direction of "play the decay."

"It is unacceptable."

According to trade unionists, the meeting of Tuesday evening but was "a breakthrough". "Management has agreed to open true negotiations, what we call for since the beginning", explained Frédéric Sarrassat (Unsa). However, positions remain very remote, including on the central point of this conflict: the question of the granting of a monthly premium for 550 drivers of the RER A to compensate for the increase, since 2008, the offer on the busiest line in Europe. Trade unions amount between 120 euros (Unsa) and 150 euros including 30 variable (CGT, FO, CFDT, southern, independent) the amount of this bonus. Tuesday evening, the direction suggested 80 euros monthly, and only in the form of a variable premium with regularity on the line.

"It is unacceptable, this amount is less than 100 euros of fixed premium that the direction had proposed us before the start of the conflict," judge Frédéric Sarrassat (Unsa). "We do negotiate not below the initial proposal of the Directorate, which must be the basis of the discussions", said Eric Nabet (CGT). The Directorate seeks to curb are resisting, saying to want to "avoid the effect of contagion to the 45,000 employees of RATP", according to a close of the group. "It cannot both want that company adapt to competition and that it opens the gates for the wages," said this source.

Before this impasse, the PS President of the region Ile-de-france and the STIG, Jean-Paul Huchon, reiterated yesterday his request for the appointment of an Ombudsman by the Government. A solution by the company, who believes that she has the tools to solve this crisis. "If a mediator should be imposed, we would accept it", for its part said Thierry Babec (Unsa). "But it is not glorious for a company regularly shown in example: somehow, this would mean that for social dialogue, on a little lost the instructions for use", considers the trade unionist.