Air France strike hits 40% of trips

A STRIKE by pilots at Air France will hit at least 50% of flights, the company predicts.

The pilots’ union SNPL has called the strike in protest at plans to raise their retirement age to 65.

MPs are currently debating the proposal.

The Director General of Air France-KLM, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, said the strike was “unhelpful and dangerous” for the company and would cost €100million.

“This strike falls at a bad moment for Air France-KLM,” said Mr Spinetta: “A four-day strike will profoundly affect the confidence of our client in France, in Europe and in the world.”

Trains

The second biggest train drivers’ union, CFDT, has called for an indefinite strike from November 18 at 20.00 to protest against plans to reorganise the work rotas of freight drivers.

While the CFDT and FGAAC unions have said they will join the walkout, the CGT and Sud-Rail unions (who went on strike last week) have yet to make an announcement.

Leaders of these two unions, whose strike call on November 6 was followed by 40-50% of members, are meeting for talks on Friday.

The SNCF said it was not yet in a position to measure the impact of a strike on its services but minimum services required by law would be guaranteed.

Train drivers today will gather in Paris to protest against EU proposals that will lead to the privatisation of international railway services in 2010, followed by domestic rail services.

Drivers wanted to “say no to the politics of privatising the railways,” said a CGT union statement.

Photo:Flying Blue