Sunday will be severely disturbed according to the RATP

Million passengers each day taking the RER A in Ile-de-France - a record of its kind in Europe - must expect difficult days. Traffic will be indeed very upset today, to a level similar to that registered yesterday, where two trains out of three have circulated, but in peak hours only. The rest of the day, the traffic was almost zero on the portion of the line provided by the RATP. It is true that the rate of strikers among drivers averaged almost 98 yesterday morning according to unions, so that they are the company - in accordance with the regulatory procedures Executive - which have been requisitioned to ride trains. Traffic this weekend - essential for traders in the period of before holidays (see below) - hardly looks best, with a train on both the Parisian stretch Saturday and four on the rest of the network. Sunday will be "severely disturbed" according to the RATP. "In view of the policy of the Directorate, this movement is party to last until at least Tuesday", threatening a trade unionist.

Dominique Bussereau, Secretary of State for transport, is a claim that the "social dialogue resume", bridges seem to be broken between management and unions. "The negotiations are not possible in a conflict", explains on the Board, while Eric Nabet (CGT) accuses the leaders "to play the decay in refusing the discussions". The two parties agree yet to recognize the difficult working conditions of the 550conducteurs of line A, whose supply was augmented in 2008 to allow to spend up to a train every two minutes. "We were ready to recognize the specificities of the RER, we had also made proposals for formulations outside the conflict," explains a framework for the RATP.

Discussions to were thus crystallized these days around a monthly allowance paid to drivers. Unions claimed at least 120euros, while management proposed approximately 100 euros. "An agreement was possible, but management has not wanted to not give the impression to yield to pressure." "Its purpose is clearly to switch report force on its side in the RER activity, which remains one of the strongest resistance poles in the business," provides Thierry Babec (Unsa). Management of the company said his side must "take into account economic opportunities, which are marked by high debt of the group. "This is not because it is not fallen in agreement that there is no dialogue", it added. A departmental Committee economic and professional of the RER today might allow the two parties to resume language.

In any case, this conflict should not be isolated in the coming days: the Unsa filed a notice of strike for the RER B next Tuesday on salary issues and organization of work, and an Inter-Union provides conflict Thursday next in the Metro, in support of a licensed agent. "It is a sign of a degraded social climate," said Thierry Babec. Trade unions are concerned about the plan of the Directorate, which provides an improvement of the productivity of 2 per year. "For the first time ever, this should result in deletions of positions in the group," decrypts a trade unionist.