Solidarity with French Railway Workers Battling Privatisation

Bob Archer reports on cross-channel solidarity

I was delighted to accept a personal invitation to join a discussion panel at an event in Pontoise, France, on Thursday 28 June this year.

The event was organised by ATTAC (anti-austerity, anti-globalisation movement), and started with a Viewing of Ken Loach’s film The Navigators in support of the current action by French Rail (SNCF) employees against government plans to privatise the industry. The panel discussion followed the viewing.

Marc Roudet of ATTAC set the event upand besides myself the panel included Karl Galet, Gilles Coupet and Sonia Imchal, who are representatives of the railways section of the CGT union in  Paris Nord Region and their local branch at Ermont.

There were between 60 and 70 people present in the viewing room at the “Utopia” Cinema in this provincial town a few miles north of Paris.

The cinema manager hosted the event and showed a high level of understanding of the issues.

Ken Loach’s 2000 film about the fate of a team of railway track workers and their experiences under rail privatisation still hits hard. It would surely be worth re-releasing it in the UK at present in the discussion over re-nationalising the railways.

I was called up first after the viewing to give an account of the experience of UK railways since 1995. I talked about bizarre way in which the privatisation had been carried out, with the extreme fragmentation, the tragic safety issues that arose almost immediately, the series of serious disasters from Southall to Potters Bar and how Railtrack was re-nationalised.

I drew on TUC and Action for Rail material to talk about the high fares and the ludicrously wasteful character of the contracting process. I explained about the serial collapse of contracts on the East Coast Line and the total mess following plans to upgrade Thameslink Govia, Scotrail and Northern Rail and the huge resentment of the travelling public at the ongoing botched introduction of revised timetables.

The audience was already perfectly aware that public opinion in the UK is on the side of rail nationalisation, but they were glad to have me there to say it anyway!

They were also keen to know how the UK unions have faced up to a privatised rail service.

The CGT speakers spoke strongly and passionately about their dispute. They seem to be dug in for an extended “rolling” strike against privatisation.

They welcomed any move towards international collaboration against privatisation.

The CGT comrades got well stuck into the discussion and made powerful statements about the issues involved, in particular the health and safety aspects. They are confident that their rolling series of strikes will be maintained and will reach a successful conclusion.

How well their remarks were received is clear from the email from Gilles Coupet copied in below.

I am told that the attendance at the meeting included most of the serious groups on the Left – the Communist Party (PCF), Mélenchon’s “France Insoumise” and the New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA)

Following my return home I received these emails arising from the event.

“(Email from Marc Roudet to Bob A., 1 July 2018)

Hello Bob,

We were all impressed by what you said about the situation on the railways in the UK post privatisation.

It’s brilliant that Ken Loach sent a message of encouragement to our event. Thanks for passing it on.

See below email from Gilles, one of the railway workers who attended the meeting.

I hope we will have the opportunity to meet again in future and, who knows, join together in anther similar event,

Fraternally,

Marc …  

From Gilles Coupet

Subject : Last night’s support meeting at Utopia

Sonia, Karl and I and the CGT Railway workers at Ermont would like to thank you for the event you organised yesterday evening.

The Ermont comrades came out boosted and refreshed by the support we got from the people in the hall and the organisers.

An interesting discussion, a film that was dead right to portray the present context, etc., it all went together to help us to explain what is at stake in this struggle which started on 22 March.

I can use this opportunity to let you know that the solidarity collection you handed over last night amounted to 2267 euros, with the particular help of a lady we discussed with at the end of the event who gave us a cheque for 2000 euros thanks to a recent legacy.

This sum will be handed over this morning to the comrades in charge of seeing that the money goes to those strikers who have been put in the greatest difficulties by the struggle.

In a struggle where it is important to explain to citizens that the government is squandering and misappropriating a public good, the platform you provided us with last night was an opportunity we couldn’t afford to miss.

Thank you to everybody,

Gilles,

For the CGT Sector Paris Nord and for the CGT (rail) Trade Union Ermont.