Olympics chaos looms as Paris airport staff announce strike
FRANCE-Days before the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin, on July 17, several unions representing employees at Parisian airports jointly announced plans to go on strike over unpaid staff bonuses and working conditions.
Will Olympics travel plans be disrupted by strike?
The CGT, CFDT, FO, and UNSA unions have called for a walkout in order to demand that all airport employees receive bonuses for the Olympics and more resources during this busy travel season. CBS News reports that their protest is directed against “unilateral decisions from the chief executive to pay a bonus to only some personnel.” The unions at Groupe ADP, which runs Orly and Charles de Gaulle, the two main airports serving Paris, had also organized a walkout back on May 19, albeit it was ultimately unsuccessful in creating significant disruptions to traffic. But since the Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports will be the primary entry gateways for international tourists and athletes arriving for the Paris Olympics, this impending strike might have a big impact. During the Games, up to 350,000 passengers a day are anticipated to transit through these airports, many of whom are athletes who have checked much of their athletic gear as luggage. On July 18, the Olympic athletes’ village is scheduled to open, and hundreds of athletes are expected to start arriving on that day. A brand-new makeshift terminal at Charles de Gaulle has been established to handle large luggage that includes items like motorcycles, kayaks, and pole-vaulting poles.
Can last-minute talks avert airport strike chaos?
Comparatively, nearly 70% of flights at Orly, the second-busiest airport in France, were canceled on a single weekend in May due to a recent strike by air traffic controllers, according to France 24. It was the second strike of that kind in a month; the first resulted in the cancellation of thousands of flights around Europe. Not just those who work at airports experience pressure and want more pay as a result. Unions representing a wide range of public sector workers are requesting additional compensation or benefits for working during the Paris Olympic Games, which take place between July 26 and August 11, coinciding with France’s usual summer vacation.
How will strike impact Olympic athletes and staff?
According to msn, These requests have come from a number of sectors, including the police, firemen, air traffic controllers, garbage collectors, metro rail and train drivers, and central government personnel. Because of the imminence of this significant international event, workers are exerting pressure on their bosses to give in to their demands in order to prevent disturbances. Even the people who make the Olympic medals at the national mint, the producers, have gone on strike. The management has clarified that there has been no influence on the manufacture of these highly sought-after rewards. As reported by jamaicaobserver, The possibility of strikes interfering with the Paris Games has been debated frequently in France due to the nation’s violent trade unions and frequently tense labor relations. During the tournament, Tony Estanguet, the chief organizer, appealed for a “truce.” In February, he said on French television, “I want us to welcome the world in the best possible conditions and that we don’t spoil the party.” Together with cab drivers and other transportation employees, pilots with national airline Air France went on strike on the eve of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Considering the past several weeks have been filled with terrible news items, that conclusion may seem inevitable. Initially, the city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, abruptly announced that transportation for the Games the following summer would “not be ready in time”. Then it was revealed that, contrary to what the Paris bid for the Games had stated, buses and metros would not be free for competitors’ tickets; instead, rates would quadruple for the six weeks of the Olympics and Paralympics.
Call to action: Boycott Pairs Olympics 2024
The head of the hoteliers’ union said that the security plan was “so complicated I get a headache just looking at it” when the police chief disclosed that his strategy included no fewer than four distinct exclusion zones surrounding each Olympic stadium. 52% of French people were thinking about flying out of Paris to avoid the heat during the Games. According to Odoxa, “perceptions about the Games are reaching alert level.” Not to mention the 230 quayside booksellers, or bouquinistes – who consider themselves the defenders of medieval Paris – who are resisting attempts to take down their boxes in preparation for the opening ceremony on July 26. Hence boycott this event as soon as possible.
