EasyJet cabin crew in France could walk out in strike action expected to run until September 2, affecting flights at five key airports. French media report that three unions representing cabin crew at EasyJet France have issued strike notice covering the period from 7 August to 2 September.
Strike Details and Airports Affected
The airports facing strike action include Lyon, Nice, Paris Orly, Bordeaux and Paris Charles de Gaulle. The unions have complained of a "continuing deterioration" in working conditions, according to a joint statement released this week.
Flight attendants have complained about rota arrangements and working conditions. The unions are denouncing what they describe as "a vicious circle that has been going on for a year now", with the SNPNC-FO, UNAC-CFE-CGC and UNPNC-CFDT trade unions condemning "the chronic instability of timetables, last-minute changes, imposed 'trippings' (a series of flights over several days, ed.), particularly gruelling rotas and a total lack of protective measures".
Impact on Passengers
For those planning to travel with the airline in the coming weeks, passengers whose flights are disrupted by cancellations or delays will be given 48 hours' notice. Simply head to the 'Booking' tab in the EasyJet app to access the relevant information.
Should your flight be cancelled, you can request either a refund or a ticket change directly from the airline. If the replacement departure is scheduled for the following day, EasyJet may foot the bill for a hotel and a taxi to the airport.
Union and Management Positions
Gaël Leloup, a union representative for the Union of Civil Aviation Cabin Crew (UNAC), told RTL that "scheduling instability" has gradually become "the company's normal way of operating": "It's normal to change people's schedules once, twice, three or four times in the same day. And dozens of times a month, too. You might be moved from morning to evening shifts, or sent to another base in Europe for three or four days."
The union representatives say they are fully aware of the disruption this strike action will cause to passengers' travel plans. "The sad thing is that it's our passengers who will bear the brunt of it," laments Gaël Leloup.
With talks between staff and management having ground to a halt, workers feel they have been left with little choice: "After a year of discussions and still no solution, we have no option but to take major industrial action."
A spokesperson for easyJet said the company was disappointed and had made an offer of changes to tackle their concerns. They said: "Given we have planned negotiations in September, we call on the unions to call off this counterproductive action at this important time of the year for our customers".
The trade unions say they remain "open to negotiation" to call off the strike notice, provided that management "puts forward clear, concrete and binding solutions". The notice period has been deliberately left open to cover the entire period, with key dates for industrial action to be confirmed "48 hours in advance".
