France tries to repair its image abroad after violent Air France confrontation



PARIS: -- The French President says scenes of Air France workers attacking managers at Charles de Gaulle airport are unacceptable.

Francois Hollande fears the footage will have damaging consequences for the country’s image abroad.

Angry staff blockaded a meeting about a drastic cost-cutting plan on Monday.

Managers were forced to flee.

Seven people were injured, one seriously.

The incident has made headlines around the world.

The country’s Transport minister says France has changed and images like these are no longer representative.

Air France’s head of HR Xavier Brosseta, who lost his shirt in the scuffles, was visibly shaken.

“On a personal level, I am of course shocked and disappointed, but I wouldn’t want to see scorn thrown on the whole of the workers and the unions at Air France.”

Angry workers also invaded the press conference.

Air France has begun legal action over the incident, which has been condemned by management, unions and government officials.

But defiance remains. Christophe Mallogi is Secretary General of the FO union at Air France:“We do not sanction acts like this but I think people are fed up, the employees have made a huge effort but at the same time the bosses are talking about redundancies. Their explanation is not acceptable and the workers made this very clear in their own way.”

Air France says it will press ahead with its cost-cutting plan involving the loss of 2,900 jobs by 2017.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls will meet with Air France bosses at the airport on Tuesday.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-10-07

Hasn't lowered my opinion of the French. I've worked with many, and 95% of them were incredibly arrogant, and smelled terrible to boot.

Don't fret Messier Adultery, most investors got the message a long time ago to stear clear of France...one of many reasons your economy and society are in the toilet.

this is how left-liberal agenda is affecting the economy. employees of Air France are really believe that the the main purpose of existence of Air france is not making the profit but making the life of it's employees better

unions force management to raise wages, keep unnecessary employees. Who is gonna pay for it? government, by taxpayers' money?

passengers? but they will just choose another air company, from the country which government does not force private enterprises to feed a bunch of people which the company does not need.

ridiculous.

Universal suffrage always sooner or later leads to socialism and economic collapse. because any truly elected populist government would act in interest of the majority and the majority will always vote to rob and share.

this is how left-liberal agenda is affecting the economy. employees of Air France are really believe that the the main purpose of existence of Air france is not making the profit but making the life of it's employees better

unions force management to raise wages, keep unnecessary employees. Who is gonna pay for it? government, by taxpayers' money?

passengers? but they will just choose another air company, from the country which government does not force private enterprises to feed a bunch of people which the company does not need.

ridiculous.

Universal suffrage always sooner or later leads to socialism and economic collapse. because any truly elected populist government would act in interest of the majority and the majority will always vote to rob and share.

There's been "universal suffrage" in many countries of the world for a very long time ... and most do not have "socialism and economic collapse."

Perhaps you have a different definition for suffrage than do I.

2.900 jobs to be cut by 2017. So does this mean that our newly arrived "asylumseekers" have no chance at all to land a job with Air France in the coming months!!!??? Just curious now.....

this is how left-liberal agenda is affecting the economy. employees of Air France are really believe that the the main purpose of existence of Air france is not making the profit but making the life of it's employees better

unions force management to raise wages, keep unnecessary employees. Who is gonna pay for it? government, by taxpayers' money?

passengers? but they will just choose another air company, from the country which government does not force private enterprises to feed a bunch of people which the company does not need.

ridiculous.

Universal suffrage always sooner or later leads to socialism and economic collapse. because any truly elected populist government would act in interest of the majority and the majority will always vote to rob and share.

There's been "universal suffrage" in many countries of the world for a very long time ... and most do not have "socialism and economic collapse."

Perhaps you have a different definition for suffrage than do I.

Universal suffrage exists in most of Europe since 40-ies. in USA - 20 years earlier...its just 70-90 years! ridiculously short time of human history. Roman Empire fell longer.

And look where the World is now.

France is one reason the EU doesn't work. Can you imagine what would happen if the French government took the farmers subsidy away. There would be civil war in France!

Who fly's Air France?

Hasn't lowered my opinion of the French. I've worked with many, and 95% of them were incredibly arrogant, and smelled terrible to boot.

You must be a nostalgic of the freedom fries...

I ve worked with Americans and 95% of them were obese and ate junk food all the day.

More than that they shot everybody who ate veggies...

More stupid racists rant to say?

France is one reason the EU doesn't work. Can you imagine what would happen if the French government took the farmers subsidy away. There would be civil war in France!

Who fly's Air France?

Subsidies are for 90% of them given to the big industries, not the farmers who are helped for around 200 euros for one hectare of land.

However milk factories, industrial mills, are each year the big winners...so much for socialism...mmm

The biggest earner is in Monaco, a communist paradise for sure...

Hasn't lowered my opinion of the French. I've worked with many, and 95% of them were incredibly arrogant, and smelled terrible to boot.

Chicest country on the planet though