Between all those arriving for the Olympic Games and all those looking for a vacation getaway, the threat of strikes at airports is very bad news indeed. At the height of the summer season, the airports of Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly record a daily influx of some 350,000 passengers, and this year, the arrival of the Olympic Games has seen a number of measures put in place.
In the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Force Ouvrière (FO) union at Aéroports de Paris(ADP) has issued strike notice for this Friday, July 26, the day of the opening ceremony. The protest concerns wage demands deemed insufficient by the minority union, which is calling for an increase in the bonus provided for in a recent agreement.
The FO trade union, representing 11.57% of the vote in the last professional elections, felt that the agreement signed on July 16 between ADP management and a majority of the unions had achieved only "partial and modest progress". In particular, the union is demanding that the 300-euro bonus for all ADP employees be increased to 1,000 euros, in addition to other wage concessions. Although this agreement enabled all the representative unions to lift their strike notice, it did not satisfy FO, which is maintaining the pressure with this new notice.
The strike notice runs from 5 a.m. on Friday, July 26, 2024 to 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, 2024, covering the period of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. The strike could disrupt operations at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais airports.
In addition, a "temporary no-fly zone" of 150 km around Paris has been decreed for security reasons, restricting air traffic from 6.30pm to midnight on the day of the ceremony. This measure, although foreseen, could further complicate the situation if the strike is maintained.
The ADP Group, contacted on Monday, has yet to react officially to this new strike notice. The situation therefore remains uncertain just a few days before the event. This industrial action could draw attention to the working conditions and wage demands of ADP employees, at a time when the eyes of the world will be on Paris for the opening of the Olympic Games.
In short, if you are planning to leave or return by plane this July 26, expect some disruption and keep an eye out for announcements.
