Air France management offered the representative unions the launch of multi-year pay negotiations (2019-2021) in order to find a solution to the continuing conflict.
The negotiations, launched on Thursday 12 April, resumed this morning at 9am. At the end of three days of talks and to put an end to this conflict, Air France management assumed its responsibilities by proposing a final agreement for signature up to Friday 20 April 2018 at midday.
This final draft agreement ensures general salary increases for 2018 (an additional measure), 2019, 2020 and 2021, within the framework of a “growth pact” for the future.
It includes proposals that are both strong and economically sustainable:
- For 2018:
- an additional pay increase of 1%, bringing the overall increase to 2% at 1st April 2018
- this additional increase of 1% is accompanied by a minimum threshold of 25 euros per month.
- For 2019, 2020 and 2021:
- a general wage increase of 5% over the period (1.65% per year), guaranteed under the growth pact
- This increase of 1.65% per year is accompanied by a minimum threshold of 40 euros per month.
With this agreement, salaries would increase, on average over the period, by 12.5% (including a general increase of 7% for all categories of staff as well as individual increases and the sliding seniority and skills pay scale).
This “growth pact” includes plans to adapt the increase in case Air France’s financial result is less than 200 million euros and to apply a reversion clause in case of higher inflation or a negative financial result.
It provides a positive and long-term answer to wage expectations while preserving the continued investment necessary for the company’s growth.
The continuing strike action is having serious consequences for the company, its customers and staff. It is financially destructive for the airline and its staff and is putting the company’s future in danger. The estimated cost of these strikes, including 17 and 18 April, is 220 million euros.
Continuing this conflict and rejecting this particularly favourable agreement proposal for Air France staff would represent a grave responsibility towards the entire company and its customers.