Two Air France cabin crew unions have filed for strike action from December 22nd to January 2nd. Covering the peak period of Christmas and New Year, the French carrier is hoping to avoid any cancelations or delays but has failed to reach an agreement successfully for now. Let’s find out more.
Starting Thursday
According to Le Monde, Air France is bracing for an absence of cabin crew during the peak travel season. While the airline has vowed to fly its entire flight schedule on Thursday, the 22nd of December, from there, it stands at risk of serious disruptions. Both unions, the UNAC and SNGAF, are striking over failures to reach collective agreements with the management, the last one of which ended on October 30th.
Since then, cabin crew have been working on a unilateral note, which allows the management to dictate key employment terms. However, Air France CEO Anne Rigail and Air France-KLM Group Ben Smith have committed to not changing the terms of the previous collective agreement until a new one is struck. However, a commitment is not legally binding and the unions are demanding a temporary contract to guarantee benefits until a new deal is reached.
In a statement, union leader Sébastien Portal noted,
“We had the first framing meeting on Tuesday, December 13. We still have six meetings scheduled. At this rate, we will not have a new collective agreement before April 2023. [Until then crew are] at the mercy of management to modify [the] working conditions and remuneration.”
Not the only one going on strike
Air France is not the only airline that is facing potential strikes over the winter period. While most in France have managed to strike deals, including easyJet, Corsair, and Air Antilles, French bee is another carrier facing strikes from December 22nd to 25th. In the case of French bee, cabin crew have highlighted low pay and working conditions as key sticking points, meaning strikes could be a lot more disruptive in the days leading up to Christmas.
However, the pair are hardly the one airline in Europe at loggerheads with unions this winter. TAP Air Portugal cabin crew will walk out during the holiday period as well, while across the Atlantic, US carriers are scrambling to cut deals with pilots and crew to prevent challenges.
Strikes over the Christmas period are particularly disruptive since flights on other carriers tend to be at full capacity and all are desperate to get home as soon as possible. With thousands in compensation needing to be paid out, airlines usually try everything before canceling flights.
Doubling down on the US
Since emerging from the pandemic, Air France has had one major target: the United States. In November, the airline had up to 21 daily departures and has since added Paris CDG to Newark International (EWR), the first time in a decade it is serving EWR. Major destinations include Los Angeles (up to 3x daily), Washington Dulles (up to 2x daily), and a whopping 6x daily flights to New York JFK. Given the high revenue yields, perennial traffic, and connecting opportunities, the US is Air France’s ideal market.
Source:simpleflying.com