Pilot strike at Air France continues

On Saturday, as pilots for Air France rejected a proposal to end a four-day-old strike, airports across France faced more disruptions over the weekend.

On the second day of the labour action, the airline was forced to cancel one-third of its long-haul services and half of its other flights, leading to severe disruptions for passengers, as pilots strike against retirement age reforms that have been proposed.

When the government offered to guarantee pilots the right to retire at age 60, it was expected that there might be an end to the strike, but according to a spokesman for the unions, pilots voted against ending the action.

Air France reported that it would be able to operate half of its scheduled short- and medium-haul services and around two-thirds of its long-haul flights over the weekend.

Pilots called the strike over proposals by the government that would allow pilots to work until 65, instead of being required to retire at age 60. The measure was part of parliamentary discussions on social security reforms.

Both Air France and the French government have said that the planned change would be a voluntary one, and that pilots would not be required to work until age 65, but unions see the move as the beginning of an effort to require members to work longer or to accept lower pensions for retiring earlier.

The strike, which began on Thursday at 2300 GMT, is scheduled to continue until midnight on Monday. It is expected to cost the carrier 100 million euros, the airline’s chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta, said.

www.airfrance.com