This time, it will not be to increase their remuneration, but to preserve their work organization that several air traffic controller unions have filed strike notice for Monday, November 20. As always, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has ordered airlines to “cut down”, that is to say, to reduce their flight schedule by 25% at Orly and from Toulouse-Blagnac, but only 20% on the provincial platforms in Bordeaux-Mérignac and Marseille-Provence.
These representative, but minority, organizations are calling on air traffic controllers to strike after the deputies adopted, on Wednesday, November 15, a bill which will oblige air traffic controllers to declare themselves on strike at least forty-eight hours before the start of a social conflict. Before the National Assembly, the Senate had already voted, in June, on a proposal from Senator Vincent Capo-Canellas (Centrist Union) to put controllers on the same level as other air transport employees. Under the Diard law of 2012, the latter must individually declare themselves strikers 48 hours before the start of a movement.
The proposed law is the result of a certain exasperation of users and professionals relayed by parliamentarians. Indeed, the conflict of November 20 will be the 53e strike day observed by air traffic controllers since the start of the year. In Europe, France is the champion in all categories. Since 2005, air traffic controllers have had 249 strike days. A record compared to the 44 days of strike by controllers in Greece or the 34 days in Italy during the same period. Without common measure especially with the other countries of the Old Continent which have suffered less than ten days of strike in this profession in eighteen years.
Lengthening of flights
For the detractors of the air traffic controllers, in addition to the repeated conflicts, it is the reasons for these movements that do not pass. Thus, at the instigation of the CGT in particular, controllers were called to strike during the movement against pension reform. However, the special regime for air traffic controllers was not in question and they can retire from the age of 54 compared to now 64 for the vast majority of employees.
In recent years, French and European airlines have regularly spoken out against the increase in strike days. Although they were rarely followed, each time they forced the DGAC to ask airlines to reduce the number of their flights. A costly procedure for Air France and its counterparts.
You have 45% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.