Paris Olympic dancers file strike motion for opening ceremony
A second strike date for the Paralympic opening ceremony has also been announced
The Ceremony, set to take place outside a stadium for the first time, may be impacted by the announcement
P-Kheawtasang/Shutterstock
Update July 24: The strike has been called off, after an agreement was reached between unions and the production company
A union representing dancers due to participate in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games has filed a strike motion for the day of the event.
The SFA-CGT union, the largest in the entertainment sector, filed the strike motion for July 26, citing “blatant inequalities of treatment” between performers hired for the unique ceremony on the Seine river.
A second strike motion for August 28, the day of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, has also been filed.
It is unknown how impactful the strike will be on these shows but the union states that no negotiations are planned between itself and the events’ organiser Paname 24.
Previous negotiations on the subject in early July were unsuccessful.
A recent strike planned by airport staff in Paris’ two major airports was called off at the last minute after negotiations between unions and airport management resulted in all workers being able to obtain an Olympic bonus.
Read more: Paris airport staff call off strike after last-minute agreement
The main branch CGT (Confédération Générale du travail) union has also threatened that security workers affiliated to it may go on strike throughout the Games over difficult working conditions (such as the inability to take holiday during summer).
Workers want to be adequately compensated for the increased workload and restrictions.
As of July 18, however, no strike motion has been filed.
‘Dancers not made aware of their rights’
The SFA-CGT union claims that up to 300 dancers set to appear in the opening ceremony spectacle (around 10% of the total) were recruited under “shameful” conditions, and not made aware of their rights, including bonuses they are entitled to.
“Payments for the recording and broadcasting of performances fluctuate from €60 for intermittent workers in the entertainment industry, to €1,610 for employees who have been able to benefit from successful collective bargaining,” a member of the union is quoted as saying in French media outlet La Dépêche.
The union added that until recently, certain ‘intermittent’ workers were not able to benefit from collective bargaining agreements, but under recent rule changes they are now able to.
The company producing the ceremony, however, is reported to have not informed workers of this change. The company has not responded to claims by the SFA-CGT.
“Why are some non-Parisian artists paid and housed, when the majority of them - the most precarious - are not, even though they have the same employment contracts?” the unions also question in their announcement of the strike.
