PARIS (Dispatches) -- Air France cabin crew launched a week-long strike Wednesday, forcing the French national carrier to make adjustments during the height of the summer season.
Two trade unions representing Air France air hosts and hostesses delivered a notice last week to launch a strike from July 27 to August 2 after talks failed to bring a compromise on labor accord rules, pay and promotions.
Air France estimated that 37% of its cabin crew staff will be joining the strike, but the unions put the figure at between 55% and 70%.
The UNSA-PNC and SNPNC unions, which together account for 45% of the company’s flight attendant staff, are protesting a labor contract that comes into force on November 1, 2016.
Air France officials have slammed the terms and timing of the latest strike. "It is extremely disproportionate," said Air France CEO Frédéric Gagey. "A strike at this time… is extremely shocking."
The airline said most of its long-haul flights will not be affected, but the disruptions could be "more pronounced" on short- and medium-haul flights operated by Air France.
Management want to limit the extension of the agreement to 17 months, whereas unions want between three and five years.
Flights to destinations in Europe, North Africa and Occupied Palestine will be affected, as well as some routes in Asia and Africa, the company said on Monday.
In late June, Jean-Marc Janaillac, the chief executive of the Air France-KLM group, warded off a pilots’ strike that would have been the second such stoppage during the Euro football tournament.
The pilots’ last strike, which grounded about 20% of flights from 11-14 June, hit France as it was gripped by social unrest over a series of disputed labor reforms from the Socialist government.
A pilot strike last month cost Air France almost 40 million euros ($44 million). Air France-KLM Chief Financial Officer Pierre-François Riolacci Wednesday said the cabin crew strike would likely cost more and he expected strike costs to reach "several dozen million euros."