Paris airports: towards a way out of the crisis, just before the big departures

Europe 1 with AFP 08:06, July 08, 2022

End of conflict in Paris airports?

Management and unions display their optimism while employees must decide on Friday on a proposed agreement, in extremis before the big departures.

The prospect of flight cancellations affecting thousands of passengers had already receded on Thursday with the signing of an agreement between Groupe ADP, manager of Roissy, Orly and Le Bourget airports, and the company's firefighters.

Part of the Roissy slopes closed

The firefighters' strike, which began on June 30, resulted last week in the cancellation of hundreds of flights departing from or arriving at Roissy, France's leading airport.

The other major Ile-de-France platform, Orly, was not affected.

The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) had imposed these preventive cancellations, representing up to 20% of flights between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., in the name of safety: the reduction in the number of firefighters available had made it necessary to close part Roissy slopes.

This measure will therefore not be necessary this weekend, which marks the start of the summer school holidays, confirmed a spokesperson for the DGAC.

The state-controlled Groupe ADP did not give details of the agreement with the firefighters, while "negotiations continue in a constructive climate" with representatives of other personnel who have filed a notice of termination. strike from Friday to Sunday inclusive.

These employees are asking for a “general salary increase of 6%”, retroactive to January 1, in addition to additional increases for certain categories of staff, as well as an increase in transport allowances and an “improvement in working conditions”.

Thursday evening, trade unions also expressed their optimism, while an offer from management must be submitted to a general meeting of staff on Friday morning.

An "honorable way out of the crisis"

It is a “rather interesting proposal which allows to reverse the salary reductions granted by the employees in 2021, and provides for an increase corresponding to the level of what has been seen in other transport companies”, a detailed to AFP the union representative of the CGT at ADP, Daniel Bertone.

On Wednesday, the SNCF management granted an increase to its employees which will be 3.7% for low salaries and 2.2% for executives, against a backdrop of high inflation which is eating away at purchasing power.

Without prejudging the decision of the employees of ADP on Friday, "the CGT finds that there has been progress" and that the resolution of the conflict is "on the right track", added Mr. Bertone.

His counterpart at the CFE CGC, Rachid Eddaidj, spoke of the prospect of an "honorable way out of the crisis".

The unions argue that the increases requested would offset inflation which is approaching 6% over one year, while ADP employees had agreed to reduce their salaries to allow the company to weather the Covid-19 crisis. which has divided by three the number of customers of Paris airports in 2020.

A summer that promises to be difficult despite everything

The group also conducted a voluntary redundancy plan and had undertaken to ensure that salaries returned to their pre-crisis level as soon as the effects of the latter on traffic had dissipated.

However, some routes have already exceeded their 2019 activity levels, in particular overseas connections or those, seasonal, to southern Europe.

Employees of ADP subcontractors also went on strike last week and have so far promised to remobilize during the weekend of July 16 and 17.

On Wednesday, the new Minister Delegate for Transport, Clément Beaune, announced that he had received the CEO of ADP Augustin de Romanet and assured on Twitter that "the government is mobilized to avoid disruptions, encourage social dialogue and strengthen health precautions, in everyone's interest".

Eurocontrol, the Old Continent's air traffic monitoring body, estimates that in August it could return to up to 95% of its 2019 level. However, the summer promises to be very difficult for the sector, which is struggling to regain its operational efficiency and is experiencing many social movements across Europe.