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News24
04-07-2025
- News24
Travel chaos: French air traffic strike strands 300 000 passengers as summer holidays begin
French air traffic controllers staged a two-day strike affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers, with around 1 000 flights cancelled on Friday. The strike caused ripple effects across Europe with 1 500 total flight cancellations affecting 300 000 passengers, including 400+ Ryanair cancellations and disruptions. Two minority unions called the strike to protest chronic understaffing, outdated equipment, toxic management practices, and a new clock-in system. French air traffic controllers staged the second day of a two-day strike on Friday, prompting the cancellation of flights affecting hundreds of thousands of people not just to-and-from France but also overflying the country as summer holidays kick off. Paris airports were even more severely affected than on the first day of the strike on Thursday, which was called by two minority unions calling for better working conditions and staffing. The timing of the strike is particularly acute with Friday the final day of school in France before the summer holidays and many families planning an early getaway. France's DGAC aviation authority said 933 flights departing from or arriving at French airports were cancelled on Thursday, some 10 percent of the total number of flights initially scheduled. The proportion of cancellations rose to 25% at the main airports in Paris. Around 1 000 flights had been cancelled on Friday morning, after the DGAC asked companies to cancel 40% of flights to deal with the strike. The government has condemned the strike, with Prime Minister Francois Bayrou telling BFMTV that "choosing the day when everyone goes on holiday to go on strike at air traffic control is taking the French hostage." 'Unacceptable' Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot told CNews that "yesterday and today, 272 people in our country will impact the well-being of more than 500 000 people". "This is unacceptable," he said. UNSA-ICNA, the second biggest labour group in the sector, launched the action to protest against "chronic understaffing", the planned introduction of a clock-in system, outdated equipment and "toxic management practices that are incompatible with the requirements of calm and safety". It was joined by the third largest union, USAC-CGT but the main union, SNCTA, has not joined the action. The effects of the strike are not limited to France and the stoppage has triggered hundreds of cancellations of flights that fly over the country. The European Airlines for Europe (A4E) association said 1 500 flights would be cancelled on Thursday and Friday in Europe, affecting 300 000 passengers. "French air traffic control already delivers some of Europe's worst delay figures and now the actions of a minority of French air traffic control workers will needlessly disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of people in France and across Europe," said A4E chief Ourania Georgoutsakou. The association said the strikes also caused "almost 500 000 minutes" in delays in Europe on Thursday on nearly 33 000 commercial flights. 'Stuck' Ryanair, Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, said it had cancelled more than 400 flights. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary urged the EU Commission to protect such overflights by law in case of strikes. He said: 'Of these 400 flight cancellations, 350 would not be cancelled if the EU protected overflights over France.' "Of these 400 flight cancellations, 350 would not be cancelled if the EU protected overflights over France," he said. At Paris airports, passengers stared at departure boards loaded with cancellations to assess their options. "I came here on holiday to celebrate my wife's 40th birthday, but now I'm stuck at Charles de Gaulle Airport," said Julien Barthelemy, a passenger travelling to Marseille from New York, late Thursday. "I'm currently on the waiting list for three flights and am waiting for a spot on the next one to become available." Lara, 30, was scheduled to take a flight from Paris to Berlin with her partner to visit friends. "The flight was scheduled for Thursday evening, but we were informed on Wednesday that it had been cancelled. We had been able to get another ticket for free, for Friday evening, but that was also cancelled," she told AFP, adding they had to buy more expensive train tickets. Around 30 flights at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam were cancelled while others were delayed on Friday due to the strikes, an airport spokesperson said in an email to AFP. "Around 30 flights have been cancelled today by airlines as a precaution," the spokesperson said. "We expect a return to regular operations this weekend as the strikes are expected to end." Airline KLM said the strikes have caused operational irregularities including delays and two flight cancellations.
Bloomberg
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
French Government Faces Stress Test as Pensions Return to Fore
Negotiations over France's contentious retirement reform ended in deadlock Monday, raising the chances of government collapse should opposition parties unite in a no-confidence vote. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou had tasked labor unions and business groups with tweaking President Emmanuel Macron's 2023 law that raises the minimum retirement age to 64 from 62. But they failed to agree on workarounds for the age thresholds, according to negotiators cited by Agence France Presse late Monday.
CTV News
10-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Artists demand stronger protection from AI
Members of six Quebec unions representing thousands of artists and technicians are demanding action to regulate artificial intelligence in arts and culture.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Unions slam Quebec government for adopting law limiting strikes
Members of the FAE teachers union march to begin their strike, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023 in Montreal. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Quebec's bill limiting the scope of strikes was adopted Thursday, and labour unions are calling it a 'dark day' for all workers. 'The premier and his labour minister have clearly failed to grasp the extent of the damage that this new legislation will cause,' said the heads of nine major unions in a news release. The Coalition Avenir Québec and the Liberals voted for the bill, while the Parti Québécois and Québec Solidaire voted against it. It passed with 94 votes. Labour Minister Jean Boulet said the bill intended to 'take into consideration the needs of the population' and said, 'whether it's a strike or lockout, it's important to find the right balance.' There were 759 work stoppages (90 per cent of which were strikes) in Quebec in 2024, the highest of all Canadian provinces. He said some strikes go on for 'very long periods of time' with 'many different damages.' Under the new law, arbitrators can determine the content of a collective agreement in order to end a labour dispute in certain cases. Workers must now maintain 'minimum services,' rather than 'essential services,' during a strike or lockout to ensure the 'well-being of the population' and avoid 'disproportionately affecting the social, economic or environmental security' of the population. The Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD), Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), Fédération Autonome de l'Enseignement (FAE), Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) and Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ) all came out against Bill 89. Minister turning 'everything upside down' The unions say there was already a 'fragile balance' between workers and employers. 'Trade unions cannot understand why Jean Boulet wanted to turn everything upside down, except to subject all employees to the whims of employers and to please employers and a cabinet with anti-union tendencies,' they said. 'The framework surrounding the exercise of the right to strike, which was limited overall, offered workers the opportunity to improve their conditions within clear guidelines. The minister seems to have found excuses to trample on their rights.' Québec Solidaire's Alexandre Leduc called the law 'discriminatory' and 'authoritarian,' saying it gives the Labour Minister too much power to break strikes. He sided with the unions, pointing out that there are already provisions protecting essential services when it comes to labour disputes that have proven successful. Boulet pushed back saying the decisions will be handed down by impartial and independent parties like the Labour Tribunal and arbitrators. Leduc maintained that strikes are preceded by months of negotiations, and 'it's not fun for anyone to go on strike' but it is one of the only tools to demand better working conditions and 'improve the quality of life for the middle class.' He also said employers often stall negotiations, but 'no one talks about that perspective.' Law could end up before the courts The unions say the impact of the bill will be felt even by non-unionized workers. 'The gains achieved through bargaining exert positive pressure on non-unionized sectors, forcing employers to adjust to remain competitive. The government is attacking the entire Quebec workforce by limiting workers' ability to defend and improve their working conditions,' they said. Pay equity, the establishment of the public child care network, the minimum wage, and parental leave are 'just some of the gains achieved through union mobilization,' they added. Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay agreed with Boulet on the importance of 'striking a balance' while respecting the fundamental right to strike. Unions can contest the law in court, he said. The unions believe the law would not hold up in court. Meanwhile, they say the Labour Minister is 'not open to discussion' to find a mutually satisfactory solution, and 'trust has been broken.'
CBC
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
All residential construction in Quebec could come to a halt due to strike
An alliance of five unions in Quebec's residential construction sector says money is the sticking in negotiations that could lead to a strike and halt the construction of homes across the province.
