To the fury of his passengers, and frustration of his managers, a train driver on the Belgian publicly owned railway has broken cover to admit he has been driving at a “snail’s pace” in the hope of getting sacked.



Opération Escargot, as Cédric Grumiaux is describing his unusual strategy, is said to have been prompted by his employer’s insistence that should he quit for a better paid job with a private operator, he must work the year’s notice period specified in his contract.

Of potentially greater concern is that the driver claims a further 70 drivers in his depot want to leave the company, SNCB, raising concerns that it could prompt copycat behaviour.

The train drivers’ union says one in 10 of its 3,500 drivers at the company have already handed in their notice.

In 2007, the Belgian rail sector was opened to foreign and private companies, who have been offering better pay and benefits, including company cars. The prolonged notice period was brought into drivers’ contracts in 2016 in response to this threat.

Grumiaux, who delayed passengers travelling from Mons to Liège by 38 minutes this week, told the Belgian broadcaster Bel RTL: “The safety is respected, we do not bother colleagues, there are people who have arrived late, I apologise for that.

“What happened is that they changed the rules during the game. From one month to one year, it is unfair. I understand that I risk a penalty, in theory they can fire me right away, but you will understand that this option does not worry me.”

Thierry Ney, a spokesman for the SNCB, said: “It’s an unacceptable action. There are forums for dialogue and we cannot take the customers as hostage.

“At SNCB, a driver is trained for 12 to 18 months. He is paid during this period. Public money has been invested in his training, so it makes sense to protect against premature departure. It’s also a way to preserve the continuity of public service, which is done in other institutions as well.”