CGT, FO CFDT and CFTC, CFTC, CFTC, CFE–CGC, Unsa, and SUD all filed a strike notification from Friday, July 8, at 5 a.m. until Sunday, July 10, midnight. Although it is impossible to predict exactly how the movement will unfold and what disruptions may be caused at Roissy or Orly airports throughout the weekend, Fabrice Criquet (FO delegate for ADP group), already believes that they will be at most as important as those of the previous weekend.
Firefighters from the ADP group were first to leave RoissyCharles de Gaulle’s tarmac. This resulted in 17% of flights being cancelled between 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. The airport manager joined them that day, along with some subcontractors. Result: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation asked airlines to cancel one in five flights on Saturday mornings, upon departure and arrival.
The delays at Orly were not as severe as those at Roissy which is the second-largest European airport.
Yes, strikes at airports could be repeated throughout the summer. The ADP group’s subcontractors filed another notice between July 13-17, a period of transition that is conducive to holidaymakers leaving. If these jobs are not available, expect delays and cancellations.
The difficulties will impact all French airports and not just ADP. Strike movements by hostesses and stewards unions can also affect airlines. Ryanair was affected by a strike launched in June by French workers in Marseilles, Beauvais, and Bordeaux. Damien Mourgues (delegate of the National Union of Commercial Flight Crew, SNPNC), at the Irish low cost company, claims that asking for a guaranteed minimum salary at minimum wage with meal allowances “is not being particularly greedy.”
Ryanair flight numbers on June 25 were cancelled by half, and the bridge to July 14 is now in “line-of-sight”. Similar to ADP’s motto, the mantra is “continue the disruptions until the leaders move.” “Our colleagues are always working overtime. We are now at the beginning July, and they are already tired,” protests Damien Mourgues.
The French leaving France won’t protect you from strikes. Social movements are growing in many European businesses: The staff of British easyJet will strike for several weekends in Spain, while the SAS has seen over a thousand Scandinavian pilots leave the controls since Monday July 4. British Airways has also announced that it will cancel 10,300 flights between now and October.
ADP workers in charge of airport operations mobilized June 9th and July 2nd to demand a 10% general increase in their salaries. A salary increase that would eliminate the impact of the price rise, which was estimated at 5.8% per year by INSEE in June, and would compensate for the 5% wage drop negotiated by management in the summer 2021. We are experiencing pay cuts and an increase in the cost of living. “Hundreds are thrown into precariousness,” denounces Fabrice Criquet, of FO.
Management justified the decline in 2021 by citing air underactivity and dim prospects for post-Covid recovery. The FO representative said that a departure plan was established for 1,150 employees. This plan is “a real austerity program”. This was even without considering the unexpected resumption in air traffic. In June, it had returned to 85% of the 2019 level, according to Eurocontrol, an organization that monitors aeronautical activity across the Old Continent. According to the Paris CDG Alliance employment platform, Roissy airport is facing a shortage of staff in several areas, including security and maintenance.
Unions condemn the conditions of work, knowing that ADP staff have left six percent. Unsa delegate Luis Mendes at ADP criticizes some employees for having to combine tasks in order to plug “holes” in the racket. “We had to rebuild all of the organizational charts and tasks. It’s difficult and that’s how the employees live for one year. According to the representative, there was a feeling of malaise and a “sort of split” between field workers and management. The first 70% were part-time. However, the rest adopted telework and could continue their full-time activities.
Some sectoral demands are also included in the grievances. The “operational”, those employees who work irregular hours, want the return of their bonuses. According to Luis Mendes, Unsa, these were reduced last summer until some employees received half the remuneration. Particular concern is expressed by the first to strike: aeronautical firefighters. Despite having a higher qualification, their remuneration will now be lower than that of departmental firefighters.
The union side is not able to hold on to the 10% increment. Friday, July 1st, the inter-union demanded an increase of 6% to the 4% granted management. According to an ADP spokesperson, Monday July 4th the union returned with unilateral measures to “immediately give purchasing power to employees”. A general increase of 1.5% followed by a maximum increase of 5%. This will ensure that no employee’s remuneration is lower than it was in 2019. For firefighters, the first compensation index would increase to 9.9%.
Although the unions acknowledge that this is a “first” step, Fabrice Criquet of FO says it remains “very inadequate”. “It doesn’t respond to inflation.” Groupe ADP on the other hand, claims it is committed to the success and service of passengers during the summer season and that it wants to break the deadlock quickly.
This Wednesday, July 6, saw a consultation meeting. Now, the trade unions will have to decide whether or not they want to continue the movement. According to the UNSA, a deal was reached on Thursday afternoon with the firefighters side of the strike.
Any passenger who is unhappy can request a refund, regardless of whether the flight was European. According to the 2004 European regulation, the company must contact the concerned persons.
The company must refund the money collected within seven days of cancellation. Compensation will vary depending on the distance covered. For example, compensation for less than 1,500km is 250 euros, 400 euros for between 1,500 to 3,500 km and 600 euros for more than 3,500km. The compensation is not payable if the company offers a substitute flight that departs less than an hour early and arrives less than two hours later than the original flight.
Website of the Ministry of the Economy states that compensation can also be denied in the event of strike by employees outside the company, as with ADP employees in Roissy. The DGAC is available for any dispute.
Last clarification: Roissy suffered a computer problem last weekend that resulted in the loss 1500 pieces of luggage. If a suitcase is lost, the company must inform the customer in writing within 14 to 21 days depending on which carrier. In the case of permanent loss, reimbursements can be as high as 1,607 euros. In an emergency, the company may also reimburse basic necessities.
