French air traffic controllers post new week-long strike notice

Air traffic controllers in France could walk out from May 31 to June 7 after the workers’ third-largest union posted a new strike notice. 

A strike could affect flights within France and those travelling over French airspace. 

“It is very likely that staff in various DGAC (Directorate General for Civil Aviation) departments will decide to stop work to oppose social setbacks and the lack of consideration to which they have been subjected,” the Usac-CGT union said in a letter to the head of the DGAC on Monday. 

Tensions have been brewing between the unions and DGAC for months over plans to reform France’s air traffic control network. 

The latest notice comes after a strike on Saturday, May 25 caused the cancellation of 70% of flights at Paris Orly, France’s second-busiest airport. 

Read more: French air traffic controller strikes: 70% of Orly flights cancelled

“Social unrest risks being intense in the coming months,” the Usac-CGT union said. 

France’s main air traffic controller union, the SNCTA, accepted a last-minute deal in April, cancelling two proposed strike days. 

But the country’s second and third largest unions (Unsa-Icna and Usac-CGT) rejected the deal, and went ahead with the April strikes. 

Last Saturday’s strike (May 25) was due to action by Unsa-Icna.