Saturday, September 20, 2014

Air France pilots decide on a second week of strike – Le Nouvel Observateur

Air France pilots decide on a second week of strike – Le Nouvel Observateur

Paris (AFP) – The main union for Air France pilots said Saturday continue the strike until next Friday and appealed to the Prime Minister faces a “stalemate” on the sixth day of a sustained, with more than half of the aircraft on the tarmac movement.

The AF SNPL Alpa, who initially filed a strike notice from the current 15 to 22 September, filed a new notice up 26 to Friday, and called on its members to decide on the continuation of the movement.

They voted 80.93% for the extension, the turnout was a “historic” level of 73, 71%, told AFP on Saturday at midday union president, Jean-Louis Barber.

He did not rule out that the strike would continue beyond 26 if the situation of “blocking” with management persisted. The conflict is already the longest since the social movement of 1998, which lasted ten days.

SNPL (majority in pilots with about 70% of the vote) has appealed to the Prime Minister reiterating his request to meet with him, hoping that he “will be keen to take an interest in saving the French employment.”

Manuel Valls called Wednesday drivers to “stop” their strike, which he said is “not understood”.

Air France had of it “deplored” on Friday evening the possible continuation of the strike, the company CEO Frédéric GAGEY regretting that ” concrete proposals “made to the pilots” did not find any reasonable answer to this day. “

The company has announced plans Sunday to provide 38% of its flights against 45% Saturday, assessing the strike rate of 65% for that day, against 60% Saturday.

Meanwhile, the second pilot union at Air France (SPAF) has already decided on Friday to extend his two-day notice ongoing strike, also originally planned until Monday

-. Fears of ‘social dumping’ –

At airports, the cancellation rate remained important Saturday in some cities like Marseille (81% of flights Air France canceled), Toulouse (65% of flights canceled at the start), Lille (50%, 100% cancellations planned for Sunday), Lyon (43%) and Strasbourg (40%).

Air low-cost airline Easyjet has announced that it has implemented additional flights on the Paris-Toulouse, Paris-Nice and Lyon-Toulouse, representing “more than 2,000 additional seats.”

The conflict crystallizes around the low cost of the group, Transavia, including Air France-KLM wants to expand the fleet to face competition.

According to Mr. Barber, “the project relocation of management is now well established, since it requires that Transavia Europe, along with foreign law, key French soil. ” He described the SNPL as “a responsible union, now betrayed by management.”

The Air France projects generate indeed among pilots fears of “social dumping” and . “relocation” to the detriment of French jobs

After Tuesday proposed to temporarily limit the spread of Transavia France to 30 aircraft in 2019, Air France has put on the table Wednesday a second offer: conclude an agreement with the unions defining activities Transavia.

“grossly inadequate” proposal for Mr. Barber and “not acceptable” for the SPAF.

In the absence of advanced in discussions, the tone is mounted in the week.

“I have to wonder if there is really (in unions) a willingness to negotiate,” commented CEO of Thursday Air France KLM Alexander Juniac, recalling that the strike is costing every day “10 to 15 million euros,” the company, which “leaves barely head above water.”

CEO rejected the unions’ demand for a single contract pilot for large airplanes of all group companies and discussions took airs of dialogue of the deaf.

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