- Title: FRANCE: FRENCH WORKERS STRIKE AT ORLY AIRPORT
- Date: 4th December 1995
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 4, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/SV DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING AROUND ORLY AIRPORT WITH BANNERS, PLACARDS (3 SHOTS) 0.10 2. GV DEMONSTRATORS GOING THROUGH TERMINAL, PAST CHECK-IN DESKS, ALONG ACCESS CORRIDOR TO PLANE 0.15 3. SLV/SV PASSENGER WITH LUGGAGE TROLLEY STUCK AMONGST STRIKERS/ US, FRENCH FLAGS NEARBY (3 SHOTS) 0.22 4. GV/SV STRIKERS DOWN ACCESS TUNNEL/ ONTO TARMAC, RUNNING ACROSS TARMAC (3 SHOTS) 0.45 5. GV PANS STRIKERS RUNNING/POLICE RUNNING ALONG TO KEEP UP WITH THEM/ SLV POLICE LINING UP WITH GEAR/ STRIKERS WITH BANNERS/FLARES (4 SHOTS) 1.33 6. SV UNION LEADER GERARD BEZIER SAYING THEY ARE HERE AGAINST THE JUPPE PLAN, SOCIAL SECURITY AND AIR FRANCE LOSS OF JOBS, AND SALARIES, THEY ARE TRYING TO BREAK UP AIR FRANCE AND AIR INTER (FRENCH) 1.52 7. LV PASSENGERS BOARDING PLANE, LOOKING AT STRIKERS/ZOOM OUT (2 SHOTS) 2.00 8. SLV STRIKERS SITTING ON TARMAC READING NEWSPAPER (2 SHOTS) 2.05 9. GV TARMAC PLANE, STRIKERS (2 SHOTS) 2.07 10. GV FINANCIAL DEALERS/ VARIOUS DEALERS - ON PHONE (4 SHOTS) 2.39 11. GV SHARE INDEX BOARD/ DEALERS (2 SHOTS) 2.42 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 19th December 1995 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City:
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA617IH1POM2HFVOOUFUXNYDBW2
- Story Text: A confrontation between French trades unions and the conservative government over welfare reforms intensified on Monday (December 4), with transport strikes causing more widespread disruption in the Paris region.
For the second successive week, there were no trains, buses or Paris Metro services and electricity, gas and postal workers remained on strike.
Thousands of Air France and Air Inter workers on Monday morning invaded the tarmac at Orly airport and marched through the airport buildings to press their calls for an end to Prime Minister Alain Juppe's plan on social security and to protest against the management of Air France.
Air France workers have been engaged in a long-running dispute for some time with management who are trying to push through a restructurisation plan involving staff reductions, increased productivity levels and wage restraints. Passengers with luggage trying to board their planes found themselves surrounded by gangs of maintenance workers who marched through the plane access gates then underneath the aircraft or sat reading newspapers on the tarmac.
Union leader Gerard Bezier said that the demonstrators are against the Juppe plan as well as the loss of jobs and lower salaries at Air France. He said they are trying to break up Air France and Air Inter.
After creating disruption to the morning traffic the strikers left. They are holding a demonstration in Paris on Tuesday and some sectors of Air France have announced a 24-hour strike on Thursday.
French President Jacques Chirac has reportedly been in hourly contact with Juppe over the crisis.
Juppe called an emergency meeting of his cabinet for Monday.
Despuite the chaos gripping the capital, the government stuck to its hard line, insisting it would not back down on a social security overhaul combining higher taxes, health cost controls and later retirement for public employees.
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