Across France, truck drivers mobilized this Monday, June 27, in order to obtain significant wage increases, in professions they consider “smicardized”.
Who is on strike?
The social movement was launched at the call of the trucking unions. Organizations that bring together road transport professionals, but also paramedics, cash carriers and even coach drivers.
As often in the sector, a powerful and large inter-union launched the movement, made up of the CGT, the CFDT, FO, the CFTC and the CFE-CGC.
What are they asking?
The strikers criticize “the policy of the ostrich” in terms of the wages of the “bosses of transport and the government”, despite the “successive increases due to galloping and exponential inflation, a severe shortage of employees (…) and the power purchase that melts like snow in the sun”. Inflation has already reached more than 5% over one year, a level not seen in forty years. It should be close to 7% over 12 months by the end of the year.
However, the trade unions denounce a “smicardization” of their professions:
Most of the minima of conventional branches are below the minimum wage
Fabien Michaud, CGT-Transport delegate
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And to add that “there is no will on the part of employers [d’augmenter les salaires]because the more they give salaries close to the minimum wage, the more exemptions they have”.
The professionals therefore demand the immediate reopening of salary negotiations after those of October which had resulted in a revaluation of the grids by 6%.
How was the movement translated?
Most blocking points were lifted at the beginning of the afternoon. Ultimately, “there were around twenty places concerned”, such as in Orléans (Loiret), Moissy-Cramayel (Seine-et-Marne) and Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) where the mobilization was successful, after Thierry Douine, president of the CFTC-Transports. The CGT-Transports had 14 action points and said it was “satisfied with the day”.
The mobilization did not lead to major disruptions. In Hauts-de-France, two filtering dams have been set up at the entrance to two major logistics activity zones, one at the exit from Lille and the other near Arras (Pas-de- Calais) causing large queues of vehicles at rush hour.
In Lille, on a motorway exit towards Valenciennes, around fifty people in orange CFDT vests were mobilized, blocking the motorway exit leading to the Mélantois business area, not far from the airport.
In Rennes, a plug of about 18 km formed to the east of the city, according to Bison Futé, due to the demonstration of the truckers.
Will the strike last this summer?
This is not currently planned: the objective of this day “is to count” in the perspective of a potentially turbulent return to school, according to Fabien Michaud (CGT).
We have set ourselves September for a significant movement if we do not have a favorable echo from the government and employers
Fabien Michaud
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In other words, no new social movement before the start of the school year… no doubt so as not to damage the image of the movement too much in public opinion.
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Other sectors affected?
Transporters are not the only ones to demand better wages: in energy, more particularly in the electricity and gas industries, the CGT announced on Monday a “blocking of LNG terminals and underground gas storage” this week. In the current context of intense tensions on the energy markets, this call has reason to worry both consumers and the authorities.
Many employees have also launched similar demands in the trade sector.
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