Mon, Jun 09, 2003
Holiday Travelers Bracing For Multitude Of Airline Strikes
French air traffic controllers plan continuous strikes to
protest changes in their pension plans. Austrian aviation workers
plan to strike because of similar changes. Alitalia cabin crews are
on strike over recent job cuts.
It looks like a good summer to take the train if you're
traveling around Europe.
French Controllers Strike
"There will be a strike on June 10 and I hope it
will be nationwide, said Jean-Paul Armangou, national secretary of
France's CGT union. "We will continue to speak to the government.
It is possible we will take some more action on days throughout the
summer." French air controllers staged a massive walkout last
Tuesday, grounding 80 percent of all flights, after the French
government said they'd have to participate in the state's pension
plan for 40 years instead of 37 if they wanted a full return. That
prompted at least one British travel bureau to issue warnings to
travelers headed to France during the traditional holiday season
between June and September.
But Armangou sought to downplay fears of continuous disruptions
over the pension issue. "During the past 10 years it has not been
the French tradition to disrupt the busiest periods. We will not
strike on the main holiday weekends in July and August."
Alitalia FA's Strike, Greek Airport Workers Try
In
Rome, Alitalia Airlines' flight attendants are expected to repeat a
recent walkout over lay-offs. In Greece, workers at the Skiathos
Airport tried to stage a 24-hour strike over working conditions two
weeks ago. While the strike didn't succeed, Noel Josephides,
managing director of the Greece specialist Sunvil Holidays, told
the London Daily Telegraph, "Last week we had another strike threat
that didn't come off but who knows what will happen throughout the
summer. It's an ongoing situation in Greece which we have to live
with each year. It's expensive for us but we try to minimize the
inconvenience to passengers."
The Summer Of Their Discontent
"There's always something, somewhere that happens in the
summer," said Alan Flook, Sec. Gen. of the Federation of Tour
Operators. "But the good news for holidaymakers is that most of the
companies offering charter flights are used to this situation and
can work their schedules around the strikes."
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