KLM management yesterday openly questioned why Air France management had allowed a situation to develop that has led to a “destructive strike” to go ahead this weekend during the start of the European football championships. KLM said that that the planned strike by French pilots will be a “major inconvenience” for customers that will “damage the reputation of the entire group”.
Air France talks with the pilots’ unions and senior management broke down yesterday with Air France saying it expected to cancel 20 to 30 per cent of flights on Saturday.
Frédéric Gagey, chief executive of Air France, said that the company offered a new proposal in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions, which was rejected by unions. He added that the four-day walkout would cost the airline about €5 million a day.
Jean-Marc Janaillac, who last month was named as Air France-KLM’s new CEO, has been trying to build bridges with unions, but the simple fact remains – France is in the grip of a wave of militant union action that is being coordinated across multiple unions as a general strike situation in many respects. If Air France is going to remain in the black then management must stand their ground on this matter to the greater extent. One wonders if KLM management could do any better if the roles were reversed?