French airlines plan 5-day strike

French airline passengers face up to five days of travel disruptions as unions have planned to stage walkouts against government reforms.

Six trade unions have called on airline and airport workers to go on strike to protest at President Nicholas Sarkozy’s pension reform bill on Thursday, November 4.

The national society of airline pilots, or SNPL, and the SNPNC flight attendant union have called for a four-day walkout starting on November 5 and ending on November 8.

The unions will be protesting against a social security reform currently in parliament.

The proposed reform would make certain benefits taxable, such as travel concessions and discounted hotel rooms, which are not provided by their employers.

Unions have said that the move would have “serious financial consequences” on staff, The Connexion reported.

SNPL told Reuters that the law has already been approved by the lower house of parliament, but is still amendable before it reaches the French Senate.

About one-third of Air France staff lives outside of Paris and uses their discounted tickets to travel to work and back.

SNPNC represents not only 25 percent of flight attendants at Air France, but also staff at other French airlines. SNPL represents over 3,500 French pilots.

The call for renewed industrial action comes just as oil refinery and port workers are returning to work after weeks of protests to try to stop Sarkozy’s pension reform bill.

The reform, which was passed by both houses of parliament this week, raises the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62 and the full state pension age from 65 to 67.

Sarkozy is expected to sign the bill into law on November 15.

Unions had estimated that more than three million people demonstrated against the reforms.