Paris airport staff call off strike after last-minute agreement
Action would have seen delays to passengers in two major airports. Deal means workers are unlikely to strike during Olympic period
Airport staff, including those at Charles de Gaulle (pictured) will receive aa bonus for working this summer
bellena / Shutterstock
A strike by Paris airport staff has been called off at the last-minute, after an agreement between unions and management was reached on Tuesday (July 16) evening.
Four major unions had called on staff at Paris’ two major airports, Charles-de-Gaulle Roissy and Orly, to walk out today (July 17) over a row about Olympic bonuses for workers.
Unions were requesting that all staff in the airports receive a bonus for working during the Olympics, which they forecast to be busier – and more difficult – than the usual summer high season.
Management from the Aéroports de Paris (ADP) which operates the two airports and is majority-owned by the French state, initially rejected the request, leading to unions filing the strike motion on July 8.
The deal, agreed by the majority of union representatives and the ADP, “provides for the payment of a standard bonus for each… employee,” said airport management.
“Special bonuses are planned for employees who volunteer to welcome Olympic delegations and manage their baggage, as well as for operational employees scheduled for certain additional duties,” the ADP added.
Other transport workers still set to strike during Olympics
Flights were not set to be disrupted by the strike action, but it was likely that passengers would have spent more time traversing the airports, with fewer staff members available.
There was also a risk that, if no agreement was reached, staff could have staged strikes during the Olympic Games, causing mass disruption for those visiting Paris for the event.
It seems likely now, however, that they will not take action for the duration of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will commit to an Olympic ‘truce’ alongside air traffic controllers.
Staff from Paris’ public transport authority, the RATP, have filed a strike motion lasting from February until mid-September, covering the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This does not necessarily mean that workers will walk out, however, but that staff have the right to go on strike during these days if they wish (and follow the legal procedures).
The impact so far has been relatively low, and it is unknown how disruptive the strikes will be throughout the Games. Police officers across France are also on strike during the Olympics.
Read more: UPDATED: Strikes in France in July 2024 and how you may be impacted
