Strikes cause headaches for Air France

While French railway workers went on strike last week, causing havoc at train stations across the country, Air France has been faced with a strike of its own. The labour union representing AF workers threatened to strike on Thursday, leading to the cancellation of over 30% of all flights operated by the French flag carrier. Most of the disgruntled, striking workers are members of the cabin crew and the strike may last as long as five full days. The airline has been in negotiations with one of the effected labour unions, but all efforts to find common ground have thus far been in vain. A total of seven unions are believed to either be directly involved in, or at least supportive of the strike.

Although more than 30% of Air France flights within Europe were already cancelled a day before the strike, the carrier argued that once the labour action commenced, nearly 90% of the carrier’s routes would remain operational. The vast majority of ensured flights are on short-haul domestic and regional routes, while several long-haul, transatlantic flights will either experience delays, or will be cancelled outright. Alternative solutions are being explored, such as using larger planes on affected routes, in order to accommodate more travelers who wish to fly but have had their flight cancelled due to the strike. The majority of the 14,500 flight attendants that work for Air France are believed to be ready to participate in the walk out. Employees and their unions have been unhappy with working conditions and salaries at AF.

www.airfrance.com