Paris airport strike threat looms over Olympic Games

Airport staff at France’s two biggest airports are threatening to strike during the Paris Olympic Games, citing poor working conditions and pay disputes during the event. 

A grouping of several major airport workers unions announced its decision to apply pressure on the airport bosses - and potentially cause massive disruption for travellers during the Olympics - at a press conference on June 26.

The Aéroports de Paris group, which manages both Paris Orly and Paris Charles de Gaulle (Roissy) airports, has until July 5 to respond to the unions’ demands.

However, before a strike could happen, the unions must post ‘strike notice’ to indicate when it would be.

This date is still unknown, but unions have said it will include at least part of the Olympic period, including the start of the Games and the opening ceremony on July 26.

The Aéroports de Paris group has not yet commented on the announcement, however negotiations are likely taking place to avert a major strike during the prestigious event.

A previous one-day strike by workers at the two airports on May 19 did not cause any major disruption. 

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What are unions demanding?

An inter-union group – including the CGT, CFDT, FO and Unsa – which represents workers at both Parisian airports said the strike will take place if their requests for bonuses, more staff, and better working conditions during July and August are not met. 

In a press release, the unions announced the following demands:

• “Uniform and fair bonuses for all staff working during the Olympic Games" 

• An end to "discriminatory measures [that] must be replaced by a fair approach" and the better recourse to holiday and time-off (congès)

• “A recruitment plan tailored to each activity and category of staff" highlighting “a shortfall of nearly 1,000 jobs” between the two airports

The Aéroports de Paris has previously stated that the number of daily visitors the airports receive during the summer season – around 350,000 between them – is not set to rise significantly during the Olympic period. 

However the unions disagree with this assessment.

Successful strike negotiations

The brewing airport strike follows the successful strike negotiations by public transport staff in Paris at the RATP and nationally at the SNCF. 

Both groups achieved one-off ‘Olympic bonuses’ for working during the Games (although some RATP staff are still set to strike). 

Last year, unions representing air traffic controllers made a promise to commit to an ‘Olympic truce’ and not strike during the summer period to avoid chaos for tourists visiting Paris for the Olympic Games. 

Despite a turbulent few months which has seen major disruption at airports from strikes, and a new agreement signed between the French civil aviation authority and some – but not all – unions, this promise seems to have held true, and no strike motions for the summer have so far been filed. 

However, this truce only applied to air traffic controllers - those working on the ground and inside the airport made no such promises. 

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