Paris airport workers call off strike after agreement

Airport staff at Paris airports have called off a strike planned for today after an agreement was reached with the operator of Aéroports de Paris (ADP) during yesterday’s talks.

ADP, which is controlled by the French state with a majority stake of 50.6 percent, operates the French capital’s two largest airports, Orly and Roissy Charles de Gaulle. These airports are expected to see record numbers of passengers during the Olympic Games: 15,000 athletes from 208 delegations are expected in the city in July.

The strike, announced last week, was planned ahead of the Olympic Games, which begin next Friday, and one day before the opening of the Olympic Village. The workers, represented by France’s second-largest union, the Confederation General du Travail (CGT), as well as the FCDT, FO and UNSA, denounced “unilateral decisions by the board” and selective bonus payments for only a portion of the workforce.

“We are lifting the strike warning, there is a majority agreement,” said Rachid Eddaidj, general secretary of the CFDT. The deal “was concluded today between three representative unions and the ADP management,” the airport operator also confirmed.

Employees are guaranteed a “uniform bonus for every ADP employee” for the duration of the Olympics. In addition, those specifically tasked with looking after the delegations and handling the athletes’ oversized luggage, such as canoes, bicycles and poles, will receive additional salary increases.