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EasyJet French pilots call off strikes planned for later this week
Negotiations continue as new strike dates are set for October 1 and 2
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EasyJet’s French pilots union has once again postponed strikes scheduled for September as it tries to reach a deal with the company on how their work schedules are managed.
The strikes were set to have taken place on Thursday and Friday this week (September 24 and 25) but have now been rescheduled for October 1 and 2.
This is the second time the strike dates have been moved, following a strike notice given on September 4, when the initial strike was set to take place on September 13 and 14.
“The negotiations are progressing and this is to allow a little more time to negotiate and try to reach an agreement,” the Syndicat National des Pilotes de Ligne (SNPL) told The Connexion.
At the moment, no agreement has been reached despite discussions advancing. The pilots' strike notice came shortly after cabin crew reached an agreement with the airline regarding chaotic schedules among other things.
The agreement had led to frustration among pilots, since they had been asking for the same measures, while the airline had always said this was impossible to change.
“Curiously, what was ‘impossible’ became possible after the cabin crew strike,” the union said.
“It is not uncommon for a pilot to end the month with a schedule where not a single day matches what was originally planned at the start of the month,” it added.
For now, while the initial disruption that was set to take place from September 24 to 25 has been lifted, passengers with flights on October 1 and 2 (a Thursday and Friday) need to be alert for potential disruption and changes.
If no agreement is reached, pilots based at easyJet's six French bases – Paris Orly, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, Nantes, Lyon, Nice and Bordeaux – could take part in the strike, potentially affecting flights to and from these airports.
Pilots must give 48 hours' notice of their intention to strike before the day of the walkout. A couple of days before their scheduled departure, passengers are therefore advised to monitor communications from the airline including emails, text messages and the airline's app in case anything changes.
It should be noted that in the event of a delay or cancellation, passengers are entitled to compensation, as the disruption would be caused by the airline and its staff rather than third parties, as is often the case with airport workers' strikes.
