FRANCE: COUNTRY FACES ANOTHER WAVE OF INDUSTRIAL UNREST

Описание: (11 Apr 1995) English/Nat

France faces another wave of industrial unrest this week as unions flex their muscles in the run up to presidential elections on April 23.

The domestic airline Air Inter has been among the worst hit with four strikes in as many weeks.

On Monday more than 250 of the airline's pilots and mechanics blocked a runway at Paris' Orly airport.

They were protesting against a planned merger with government-owned Air France, fearing job losses.

More than 200 pilots, stewardess and mechanics of the troubled airliner blocked the main access road to one of Paris two main airports, Orly.

Some passengers were forced to leave their vehicles behind and walk several hundred meters to the terminal.

Efforts by airport officials to persuade the demonstrators to clear the road proved fruitless.

Their main concern centers on plans to fuse Air Inter with Air France. They fear massive redundancies which will follow the restructuring of the two state-run companies.

One of the pilots also stated that after years of sacrifices it was time for the airlines to raise their wages.

SOUNDBITE:
Well the problem is that all the employees, in a lot of industries or factories have given a lot in salaries and holidays and work more than before, because there was an economic crisis. But now it's the end. I mean the economy in France is getting better. You've got profit now in the industry, and the employees in France want to share this profit.
SUPER CAPTION: Captain Maurau, pilot Air Inter

Later on Monday afternoon the strikers walked onto the tarmac and blocked one of the two main runways. Their strike action had already led to the cancellation of half of Air Inter's flights.

Riot police stood by and only intervened after they had warned the demonstrators several times to clear the runway.

Eventually police simply pushed the strikers off the runway. After a short scuffle the strikers retreated back to the main terminal building.

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