Urban public transport workers strike again over retirement at 55
Published: 27 May 2001
On 23 April 2001, urban public transport workers took strike action in many French cities, demanding a right to retire at the age of 55. The strike following previous industrial action in March and earlier in April. The latest strike took place at the same time as the sector's trade unions and employers' association were holding a joint meeting, which saw a breakdown in the negotiation process.
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On 23 April 2001, urban public transport workers took strike action in many French cities, demanding a right to retire at the age of 55. The strike following previous industrial action in March and earlier in April. The latest strike took place at the same time as the sector's trade unions and employers' association were holding a joint meeting, which saw a breakdown in the negotiation process.
On 23 April 2001, urban public transport workers took strike action disrupting bus, underground railway and tram services in around 50 French cities outside Paris, including Marseilles, Toulouse, Lyon, Grenoble and Bordeaux. The strike call was issued by a variety of trade unions - CGT, CGT-FO, CFTC or the independent National Federation of Road Transport Drivers (Fédération Nationale des Chauffeurs Routiers, FNCR), depending on the city, and for the first time CFDT. The action followed earlier strikes on 26-28 March and 12 April 2001 (FR0104141N). The strikers' demand has remained unchanged from the start of the action: retirement for all staff at the age of 55 because of a deterioration in both working conditions and on-the-job safety. The urban public transport sector is currently covered by ordinary employment law providing for retirement at 60, with a 40-year contribution period (many other transport workers have special schemes providing for earlier retirement).
As was the case on 12 April, the strike on 23 April coincided with a meeting of a joint committee of trade unions and the Public Transport Association (Union des Transports Publics, UTP) employers' association, held under the aegis of the Ministry of Transport with a view to reaching a compromise. However, as neither party would alter its position the meeting ended in failure.
Employers consider the trade unions' demand to be too costly and "ill-timed" due to "uncertainty over whether the general retirement age will remain at 60." Nevertheless, they are prepared to discuss improving early retirement provisions. Employers have suggested that a 0.2% payroll contribution, already provided for under a different agreement, be used to fund a time savings account (compte épargne temps). All the trade unions view this offer as insufficient, even though CFDT supports the principle of a time savings account to fund progressive early retirement starting at 55 for mobile bus, tram and underground staff. However, it estimates that contributions of between 2% and 7% of total paybill are required to fund the scheme. In addition, the trade unions have criticised what they perceive as the inadequate involvement of the Ministry of Transport in the dispute.
In these circumstances, both parties considered that it was pointless to hold the next meeting of the joint committee, due on 2 May. The trade unions intended to maintain their strike calls for 2, 11 and 22 May on the grounds that the negotiation process will be "long and arduous."
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2001), Urban public transport workers strike again over retirement at 55, article.
