Schools, public transport, power plants, refineries: many sectors are expected to be disrupted or blocked on Tuesday January 31 by the second inter-union call to strike against the government’s pension reform project, after that of January 19. As the text arrives Monday at the National Assembly, here are the forecasts in the main sectors.
Nearly one in two teachers on strike in the first degree, according to the SNUipp-FSU
The SNUipp-FSU, the first primary union, predicted on Monday that half of the first degree teachers would be on strike as part of the second day of national mobilization against the pension reform.
“50% remains a very good figure which shows that the protest movement against the pension reform is taking hold in schools”, explained to Agence France-Presse (AFP) Guislaine David, general secretary of the union. In Paris, the SNUipp-FSU plans a strike « encore massive » with “at least a hundred schools which will be closed and 60% of teachers on strike”.
In the second degree (middle and high schools), the SNES-FSU, the first union of teaching staff in these establishments, also provides “more than 50% of striking teachers”he told AFP.
Rail traffic “very seriously disrupted” according to SNCF and RATP
The mobilization of railway workers will reduce the number of TER trains to two out of ten in the regions, TGV traffic to 25% or 30% depending on the axis and there will be virtually no Intercity trains, nor any night trains, after the SNCF.
Metro and RER traffic will be “very disturbed” according to the RATP. Lines 3, 6, 8, 11 and 13 will only be open during peak hours – usually 7:30-9:30 a.m. and 4:30-7:30 p.m., but with variations on certain sections, and with frequencies varying from one train in three to one train in five. Lines 5, 7, 7bis, 9 and 10 will also operate at peak times, over their entire length, with variable frequencies.
Lines 1 and 14, automated, will operate normally, the RATP warning against a risk of saturation. On all these lines, a certain number of stations will remain closed, such as Alésia, Bastille, Montparnasse-Bienvenüe, Opéra or République.
In Ile-de-France, the movement promises to be followed, preventing the circulation of regional Transilien and RER trains. There will only be one train in two during peak hours for the RER A, and one train in four during off-peak hours, with an end of service around midnight. Only one out of two trains will run at peak times and one out of three trains at off-peak times on the southern part of the RER B operated by the RATP.
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The situation should be much better for RATP buses, with eight out of ten crossings in Paris and in the inner suburbs. On the tram side, traffic should be normal on lines T6 and T8, almost normal traffic on T3b and slight disruptions on T1, T2, T3a, T5 and T7.
On the international side, Eurostar and Thalys traffic will be almost normal, but TGV traffic will be “very disturbed” between France and Switzerland (Lyria).
In airports, it is mainly the air traffic controllers’ strike that will cause disruptions and delays. One in five flights should be canceled at Paris-Orly. But in Paris – Charles-de-Gaulle, there should be enough non-striking personnel to ensure the planned program, according to the general direction of civil aviation.
In Bordeaux, the majority of buses will operate but ten lines will be eliminated, seven reduced and the frequency of trams will be reduced on three lines. The rate of strikers announced is 16%, less than on January 19 (24%). In Rennes, dozens of buses will be canceled due to the demonstration planned for the morning and other diverted lines. The two automatic metro lines should run normally, according to the STAR.
The mobilized public service, closed town halls
The national interprofessional strike notice concerns the entire public service where the previous day of action on January 19 had mobilized 28% of strikers among the 2.5 million state employees, according to the ministry. Town halls like that of Paris or Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis) have announced that they will keep their doors closed.
Production declines expected in energy
The strike should be closely followed in the refineries, after already two days of work stoppage, on January 19 and 26: the refineries operated on those days but fuel shipments were blocked for twenty-four hours each time. The EDF strikers should again lower the production of electricity in the nuclear power stations and in the dams, without however causing power cuts, the manager of the RTE network strictly supervising these actions. In electricity and gas, free distribution actions or targeted cuts at EDF or at Engie could also take place.
