A new day of national mobilization is scheduled for Tuesday, January 31 to denounce the text of the pension reform which provides in particular raising the retirement age to 64, against 62 currently. A text largely unpopular and denounced by all the unions.
Several demonstrations are planned throughout France, including a dozen in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and a call for a strike has been launched. What to expect? We take stock.
Transport severely disrupted in Nord Pas-de-Calais
The SNCF, first, announces major disruptions on the rail network in the region. Two out of five TGVs will run on the northern axis and one out of four TER will run in Hauts-de-France. SNCF Voyageurs recommends canceling or postponing trips and favoring teleworking. The circulation of Eurostar and Thalys will be “almost normal” according to SNCF forecasts.
To find out if your train is cancelled, you have to wait until Monday 5 p.m. then check on the SNCF website or the SNCF Connect application. Tickets can be exchanged free of charge where will be fully reimbursed.
- IN THE LILLO METROPOLIS
In the Lille metropolitan areathe Ilévia transport network also foresees major disruptions, except for the two metro lines, which will run normally. It will be more complicated on the tram and bus side. There will be a tram every 10 minutes on the common trunk (between Gare Lille Flandres and Croisé Laroche), and every 20 min on the Roubaix and Tourcoing branches. Buses are the most impacted: “the lines of the urban bus network will run with modified frequencies, while some will not run. The lines of the peri-urban network will run normally“, says Ilévia in a press release.
In the Lens sector, the Tadao network will also operate in slow motion: school circuit lines are canceled for the day of Tuesday (1121 – 1122 – 1123 – 1130 – 1131 – 1132 – 1133 – 1134 – 1140 – 1222 – 1223 – 1224 – 1317 – 1320 – 1322 – 1323 – 1324 – 1326 – 1329 – 1330 – 1331 – 1333 – 1400 – 1430 – 1431 – 1432 – 1433 – 1434 – 1435 – 1436 – 1441 – 1442 – 1443 – 1444 – 1450 – 1452 – 1453 – 1456 – 1457 – 1458 – 1461 – 1462 – 1464 – 1465 – 1466 – 1500 – 1501 – 1520 – 1521 – 1561 – 1563 – 1600 – 1601 – 1602 – 1750 – 1751 – 1800 – 1801 – 1802 – 1803 – 1804 – 1805 – 1806 – 1900 – 1902 – 1903 – 1904 – 1930 – 1931 – 2501 – 2502 – 2504 – 2521 – 2524 – 2610 – 2611 – 2613 – 2830 – 3009).
Lines B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 25, 31, 33, 35, 36, 39, 41, 53, 55, 57, 58 and 59, will be strongly disturbed. “The other lines should be provided normally subject to traffic and operating conditions“, specifies the Lensois transport network.
Tramway lines T1 and T2 will circulate in schedules Sundays and public holidays, so every 30 minutes. Bus lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, S1 and S2 will also run on Sundays and public holidays.
Cordon C1&C2 and Villars Express city center shuttles, Sesame on-demand transport, lines 13, 30, 100, 102 and 116, as well as line H (hospital centre) will not run on Tuesday.
The Mon route school lines, and the other lines of the Transvilles network will run normally.
Several events organized
To protest against the reform, several meetings are given in the region:
- Calais 9h30 on the Place d’Armes
- Arras 9h30 like from Gare
- Saint Omer 9h30 on the station forecourt
- Boulogne sur Mer 9h30 at 98 Boulevard Gambetta
- Cambrai 10:30 a.m on the Grand Place
- Dunkirk 14h on the Grand Place
- Lille 14h30 in front of the Porte de Paris
- Valenciennes on the Place d’Armes
The trade unions of Pas-de-Calais have set up several buses to reach the places of demonstrations. There will be several departures: four coaches will leave Béthune at 8 a.m. Place de l’Europe and a bus will leave Lens at 8:30 a.m. to reach Arras. A bus will leave from Isbergues around 1 p.m. and another from Liévin at 1:15 p.m. to reach Lille. Registrations are done until Monday by text at 06 61 24 13 25.
A mobilization stronger than that of January 19?
Both in education and in other sectors, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais unions expect a greater mobilization than that of January 19. “There will be more people on strike or in the streets, I think, explains Catherine Piécuche, Academic Secretary of the FSU Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The teachers have understood that this retirement only means harm to them, and this is even more true for women teachers who are even more penalized by the text of the reform than men. We feel a real anger and a strong concern rising.”
During the first demonstration, teachers had already mobilized widely with, according to the unions, 70% of strikers in the first degree (schools) and 50% in the Lille academy (colleges and high schools). The teachers’ unions also hope that young people will demonstrate. A rally is planned in this direction in Boulogne on Tuesday.
