After successful strike Air France pilots make new demands – Volkskrant

After successful strike Air France pilots make new demands – Volkskrant

By: Sander Heijne – 09/26/14, 06:00

© AFP.

After ten days, the pilots strike has given the management of Air France their way. They also now want firm commitments about the salaries of colleagues who earn less.

It sometimes seems as if the mighty French pilots union SNPL wants airline Air France-KLM is going bankrupt. Despite an already Wednesday earned hard-fought victory over the board, took the pilots strike at the ailing airline still throughout Thursday on.

The statement is meanwhile rapidly, the strike, the company for the past eleven days, almost a cost quarter of a billion euros, a solution was not yet available at the time this newspaper in the presses. Each new strike cost the company 20 million euros.

Price Fighters

• After a strike of ten days and a loss of EUR 200 million, the board went Wednesday night the knees

The strike began on September 15 after the management of the airline’s long-awaited new strategy unfolded to take. discounters the wind out of the sails Air France-KLM wanted a billion Euros to allow binding. Subsidiary Transavia across Europe to compete with highly profitable cost carriers like EasyJet and Ryanair

The pilots of Air France were furious about the plan. Despite the billion losses the company has suffered mainly because Air France-KLM but no suitable answer could be formulated to fierce competition from low-cost carriers on European routes, demanded the pilots of their management that the plan would be withdrawn in recent years. Main reason: the plan could lead, according to the pilots

to the shift in employment from France to other European countries. The management of Air France has always denied this.

• The pilots of Air France strike now equal pay for their lower-paid colleagues from Transavia France

After a strike of ten days and the management a loss of 200 million euros, went Wednesday night by the knees. European plans with Transavia from the table, the company will only strengthen the French branch of the subsidiary. Although the staff at the main demand of the strikers has complied with this far-reaching decision that the French pilots to the surprise of many was not enough. With the sweet taste of victory on the lips suggested union SNPL Thursday additional requirements.

Infernal dilemma

The pilots of Air France strike now for equal salaries for their lower-paid colleagues from Transavia France. The fee of a captain of Air France can be up to 196 thousand euros per year for up to 678 flight hours, with Transavia pilots deserve the best paid 160 thousand euros for 700 flight hours. Now Transavia France will expand the pilots of Air France fear in the future to take the income of an aviator Transavia.

possible pleasure

The pilots ask their employer for a hellish dilemma. Even if the board would like society after serious losses of recent years can not meet the salary requirements, but it can also does not afford a continuation of the struggle. Meanwhile, it should be looking for a new strategy to improve competitiveness. Airline Before it’s too late.