France’s biggest pilots' union issued a call to strike this week that if followed through could see industrial action taking place throughout May. Union bosses, who are unhappy about the rules surrrounding their right to strike, warn the action would cause severe delays.
If you are planning to fly out of an airport in France during the month of May, your best-laid plans might yet be disrupted.
The country’s leading pilots union (SNPL France Alpa) has reiterated calls made earlier in the year for its members to hold a strike between May 3rd and May 30thon several hours each day.
And the reason for their desire to go on strike? The rules surrounding their right to strike.
Unions want a law repealed that forces pilots to inform their companies that they intend to go on strike 48 hours before the walk-out, which is intended to allow airlines to get information to those affected passengers in advance.
But for unions that law undermines the impact of their industrial action because it allows airlines to draft in pilots from other countries.
This effectively means that although many pilots will strike, the impact on flights can be minimal, as they can simply be replaced. A recent EasyJet strike did not result in any flight delays or cancellations despite the fact that 85 percent of pilots walked-out, according to the union.
And almost to rub salt into the union leaders wounds Air France issued an immediate statement saying that despite the potential of a month long strike, they would be able to minimise the impact on passengers.
“If this conflict was to take place, Air France will be able to warn its customers in advance and will take action to mitigate the inconvenience,” the company said in a statement.
The industrial action would consist of work stoppages at set times throughout each day when pilots would lay down their controls, to prevent companies from flying in foreign replacements.
SNPL’s president Yves Deshayes said: “We are willing to guarantee every flight, but there will be long delays.”
Deshayes is also demanding a working group be set up to look into ways to lower the tax rates faced by airlines, that he says favours foreign firms.
“Our companies are dying for the benefit of foreign ones and it is our jobs that are going,” says Yves Deshayes. “With all the taxes that exist in France, we run the race with a ball and chain.”
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