Paris 2024 Olympics: CGT Spectacle issues strike notice for opening ceremony

These Paris 2024 Olympic Games are set to take place in a period of high societal and political tensions, especially as this international event is not unanimously supported, among the French and especially Parisians, who are suffering inconveniences getting around on a daily basis. While the opening ceremony is particularly eagerly awaited, for the first time staged outside a stadium, it may well not go according to plan, as the CGT Spectacle union has called a strike for July 26.

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The union that defends performers, the SFA-CGT, is protesting against"blatant inequalities of treatment" between the 3,000 artists, dancers, musicians and actors recruited for the ceremony. They told AFP that"250 to 300 intermittent dancers have been recruited under shameful conditions, with no allowance, or without knowing the amount of the transfer of neighboring rights".

This is a problem they have already alerted production about, with some artists paid and housed, others not, despite having"the same employment contracts", and pay differentials of up to"1,610 euros". This notice also applies to the upcoming rehearsals for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games on August 28.

At a press conference on Friday, July 19, 2024, Maud Le Pladec, director of dance for the Paris 2024 ceremonies and choreographer of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, reacted as follows: "The question of dancers' pay touches me, concerns me closely. Paris 2024 is working very seriously on the issue, and there are important dialogues with the unions".

Only a few days remain to reach an agreement. To be continued...

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