Air France workers call strike over Paris airports plan
Unions representing Air France workers have called a strike in protest at the airline's plans to withdraw from a Paris airport.
Unions representing Air France workers have called for strike action on Tuesday, November 28th, in response to Air France's announcement that it would consolidate operations at Charles de Gaulle airport, ending most flights from Paris-Orly.
The Force Ouvrière (FO), UNSA, and CFDT unions - three of the largest representing Air France workers - called for work stoppages on Tuesday at Orly airport.
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CFDT members will also hold a demonstration at 10am at the airport, according to reporting by La Tribune.
No flight cancellations have been announced, but it's possible that the strikes could lead to disruption and longer-than-usual queues at the airport.
Abandon d’Orly par Air France : Tous mobilisés pour le retrait du projet et le maintien des emplois ! https://t.co/l7zIxGzN9Y @SouillotFo @ZNizaraly @FeetsFO @force_ouvriere @FO_AF @SnpncAf pic.twitter.com/56cMSlefDd
— FEETS-FO Transport Aerien (@FO_Aerien) November 22, 2023
Air France's plan, which was announced in mid-October, would end all company operations from Paris-Orly airport (except flights to the island of Corsica), axing domestic flights between Paris-Orly and Nice, Toulouse and Marseille.
The goal is to group all Paris services at the Charles de Gaulle airport, where it already operates numerous international flights as well as domestic routes, in a phased process which began in November 2023 and eventually will shift almost all Air France flights out of Orly by 2026.
The head of the CFDT union, Christophe Dewatine, told AFP that "serious social consequences are at stake" regarding the Air France plan. He said: "We are going to do everything we can to ensure that there is a large turnout (...) The idea is not to prevent customers from flying, but to show our opposition to this project - the disappearance of the Air France brand from the Orly hub".
The FO union wrote in its statement: "Management wants 600 of its employees at its southern base to go and work at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport. It is not only our colleagues, but whole families, who will pay a heavy price for this project".
According to Air France, approximately 430 ground staff and 170 maintenance workers would be affected by the change.
The company has argued that many of the same flights would remain, stating that "flights between Paris and Toulouse, Marseille and Nice will be maintained at 90 percent of current levels, and at 100 percent for routes between Paris and the French Overseas Departments and Territories", according to AFP.
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Unions representing Air France workers have called for strike action on Tuesday, November 28th, in response to Air France's announcement that it would consolidate operations at Charles de Gaulle airport, ending most flights from Paris-Orly.
The Force Ouvrière (FO), UNSA, and CFDT unions - three of the largest representing Air France workers - called for work stoppages on Tuesday at Orly airport.
READ ALSO New flight routes to France in 2024
CFDT members will also hold a demonstration at 10am at the airport, according to reporting by La Tribune.
No flight cancellations have been announced, but it's possible that the strikes could lead to disruption and longer-than-usual queues at the airport.
Abandon d’Orly par Air France : Tous mobilisés pour le retrait du projet et le maintien des emplois ! https://t.co/l7zIxGzN9Y @SouillotFo @ZNizaraly @FeetsFO @force_ouvriere @FO_AF @SnpncAf pic.twitter.com/56cMSlefDd
— FEETS-FO Transport Aerien (@FO_Aerien) November 22, 2023
Air France's plan, which was announced in mid-October, would end all company operations from Paris-Orly airport (except flights to the island of Corsica), axing domestic flights between Paris-Orly and Nice, Toulouse and Marseille.
The goal is to group all Paris services at the Charles de Gaulle airport, where it already operates numerous international flights as well as domestic routes, in a phased process which began in November 2023 and eventually will shift almost all Air France flights out of Orly by 2026.
The head of the CFDT union, Christophe Dewatine, told AFP that "serious social consequences are at stake" regarding the Air France plan. He said: "We are going to do everything we can to ensure that there is a large turnout (...) The idea is not to prevent customers from flying, but to show our opposition to this project - the disappearance of the Air France brand from the Orly hub".
The FO union wrote in its statement: "Management wants 600 of its employees at its southern base to go and work at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport. It is not only our colleagues, but whole families, who will pay a heavy price for this project".
According to Air France, approximately 430 ground staff and 170 maintenance workers would be affected by the change.
The company has argued that many of the same flights would remain, stating that "flights between Paris and Toulouse, Marseille and Nice will be maintained at 90 percent of current levels, and at 100 percent for routes between Paris and the French Overseas Departments and Territories", according to AFP.
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