It is the first large public company to try there. The SNCF will wipe the casts of the Act of August 2008 on Union representativeness, organized professional elections today. About 158.000 railwaymen are called to the polls to elect their representatives in the 27 committees of establishment of the railway company. The participation rate is usually between 77 and 80. Will it be higher because of the issue The new law imposes, in effect, now spend 10 of the vote threshold to be representative (see box). A default, farewell to related resources (credit time) and finished the opportunity to negotiate a national accord. Some trade unions therefore play their survival in this poll. However, François Nogué, HRD to the SNCF, believed "that the true impact of this legislation should be measured that in the next elections, when railway workers have really take the magnitude of the changes that it induced".
Small review of details of the election issues.

The unions threatened with extinction. For the CFE - CGC (1.02 of the vote in 2006), the CFTC (8.14) or FO (6.63), the cap of 10 will be difficult to cross at the national level. To achieve this, FO and the CFE - CGC established an alliance through common lists, but no guarantee of results. The TCRC has decided to make single rider in 17 regions, ally with FO - GSC in two others and the UNSA in the last four. Fails at the national level, the Organization could find a way of resistance in retaining its representativeness but only local in some strongholds (including East of the France), with the means with.
The unknown of the CFDT-FGAAC marriage. The announcement of the wedding was surprised at the time: between the autonomous Union of drivers (FGAAC) and a CFDT historically little scope to the defence of vested interests, the approximation was not necessarily of itself. But each was his account: the first (3) saw a way to survive, while the second (11,59) then inherited a partner to really weigh as a reformist Union. A perspective to celebrate the leadership of the SNCF. But railway frames worry for this marriage, too much reason. The couple may have difficulties to pass the 10 cap. Even with a strong UNSA (14,49 in 2006), the idea of a reformist pole able to reach the 30 required to sign an agreement would therefore lead in the wing.
South-Rail and the Saint-Lazare effect. Openly denounced by Nicolas Sarkozy after the chaos of Saint-Lazare, the score of South-Rail will be necessarily examined with attention. The young Union, who climbs gradually since its inception in 1996 (read the investigation page 9), is expected to increase at the national level, compared to 14,97 in 2006. Another sensitive point: local, for the time being uneven implementation between strong bastions (particularly in Paris) and low regions (as in Rennes, for example).
The strategy of the CGT. Whatever his score (40.13 in 2006), the first Union of the SNCF appears designed to become the central point of its social organization: If the reformist pole to reach the 30, it would be even the only one able to get an agreement. A situation which may be uncomfortable for the CGT railwaymen, compelled to assume its responsibilities, with the risk of seeing South-Rail spill over on its left.