French airport unions plan new action over "anti-strike" bill

French flight and airport workers’ unions declared on Thursday they would stage a strike in February (6-9) to protest against a government bill which proposes new rules on strikes in the sector.

Reuters/Pascal Rossignol

"All trades are united in this call: pilots, navigators, mechanics and ground staff," said Yves Deshayes of SNPL, the main pilots' union.

On 24 January the French parliament is to debate the bill put forward by Eric Diard from President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party.

If the bill is enacted, every worker in the sector intending to join a strike would have to give 48 hours notice.

“Tomorrow, it will no longer be possible to strike if this bill is passed," said Fatiha Aggoune-Schneider, who heads the main SNPNC-FO stewards' and hostesses' union.

"Everything we're hearing in recent days... clearly shows that this law is aimed at restricting the right to strike," said Deshayes.

French airport security workers are currently on the seventh-day of a strike over salaries and mediated talks between management and unions have broken down.

On Wednesday President Sarkozy said he would not allow holidaymakers to be “held hostage” by the strike and the interior ministry deployed police on Thursday at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, to work alongside non-striking workers checking passengers and bagage.