Air France unions agree to meet management on Thursday to settle wage conflict

Air France-KLM unions have reached an agreement to settle a pay dispute with the company’s management on Thursday after several days of strikes that have disrupted flights, a pilots union official stated.

Pilots will stop striking if the upcoming meeting can produce a suitable offer, the official added.

The Head of Air France-KLM - Air France-KLM earlier on Wednesday criticized the union’s demand for a 6 percent rise in salary, calling that”unrealistic”. Air France-KLM increased its pay offer to 2 percent on Tuesday, still below the union’s demand.

Jean-Marc Janaillac, Air France-KLM - Air France-KLM ’s chief executive and boss, spoke to Europe 1 radio: “It would be irresponsible if the trade union did not enter into talks, now that the management has held out its hand to them.”

The airline stated 70 percent of its scheduled flights would be back to normal on Wednesday, the seventh day of the walk-out.

The remaining 30 percent of flights will likely be cancelled, according to cp24.com

How much does the strike cost?

Air France-KLM - Air France-KLM stated the company had incurred nearly 170 million Euros loss on operating income as the impact of seven-day strikes. Also, the strikes cost the airline 25 million Euros per day. Such amount, the company continued, could be used to buy more planes and create new jobs.

Pilots, ground staff, cabin crew of Air France-KLM have been going on strike since Feb.22. Workers’ union and the company’s management have met several times to solve the dispute, but unions said they have yet to receive a satisfactory offer to their demand.

Some of its staff unions are going to strike again on April 17, April 18, April 23, and April 24.

Besides Air France-KLM ’s workers walk-outs, railway workers in France have been striking since April 3, protesting the government’s plan to privatize state-owned railway firm SNCF, aimed at modernizing the country’s economy.

ValueSpectrum.com News Wire & Equity Research: +31 084-0032-842
news@valuespectrum.com

Copyright analist.nl B.V.
All rights reserved. Any redistribution, duplication or archiving prohibited. analist.nl doesn't warrant the accuracy of any News Content provided and shall not be liable for any errors, inaccuracies or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.