77,000 passengers were expected on Saturday at Orly. Markus Mainka / stock.adobe.com
The controllers decided on Saturday not to work when their union had not filed a strike notice. An initiative deemed “disrespectful and irresponsible” by the Minister of Transport on Monday morning.
It’s a surprise that travelers would have done without. Air traffic controllers decided not to work on the fourth day of mobilization against the pension reform, when their union had not called for a strike. Consequence: one out of two flights was canceled at Orly airport and that of Toulouse had to close in the evening. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) was thus forced to ask “airlines to reduce their flight schedule by 50% from 1:00 p.m. for the day“. The cancellations concerned “ 25 arrivals and 22 departures according to AFP.
The Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, reacted strongly this Monday on Europe 1: “I deeply regret what happened on Saturday, especially at Orly». «It’s a walkout, not to say savage, which is disrespectful and irresponsible […] It’s scandalous“he said in particular, before announcing that a meeting was organized with the DGAC in the morning”to avoid this kind of thing that does no one any favors».
The minimum service has not been activated
The trade unions having not called for a strike, and no notice having been filed, the minimum service was not engaged, explained the Minister of Transport, as well as the DGAC. Unlike flight crew, maintenance or ground handling, controllers are not subject to the Diard law. However, it obliges employees to declare themselves strikers no later than 48 hours in advance in passenger air transport companies. Useful for organizing this famous minimum service, which obliges employees and companies, even in the event of a strike, to ensure the continuity of public services. During the last days of mobilization, the DGAC had asked “airlines to reduce their flight schedule by 20% only at Paris-Orly airport».
As no notice was relayed, this unexpected initiative was only a matter of individual decisions according to a national secretary of the majority union among air traffic controllers, the SNCTA. There is therefore nothing to prevent the controllers from deciding to stage another surprise strike at the next mobilization on February 16.
Read alsoStrikes: would it be possible to impose in France a real minimum service in transport?
The USACcgt, the first union of civil aviation, had however invited on February 8 in a press release, the agents of the DGAC available to come and demonstrate before specifying: “The USAcgt has not filed a specific DGAC strike notice, however all agents wishing to stop work are covered by the UFSE-CGT notice.that is, the Federal Union of State Trade Unions. In total, 77,000 passengers were expected Saturday at Orly, for 479 planes planned, said the ADP group, manager of the airport. For a Saturday departure on vacation, the surprise did not go well.
SEE ALSO – Pensions: surprise strike at Orly, one in two flights canceled