Air France will cut less than a thousand jobs next year, under a third of the 2,900 job losses in a plan for 2016/2017 that triggered clashes with some staff this month, said the chief executive of parent company Air France-KLM Alexandre de Juniac, RBC-Ukraine (РБК-Украина) reports.
It is reported that the job cuts in 2016 would be voluntary and more significant job reductions now planned for 2017 could be avoided if talks with unions lead to an agreement on alternative cost-cutting measures by the beginning of next year.
On October 5, Air France workers organized a mass protest outside the company headquarters near Paris’s main Charles de Gaulle airport. The reason for the strike became the carrier’s anti-crisis plan, which included the loss of 2,900 jobs.
The announcement of this plan led to scuffles during which senior managers had their clothes ripped by protesting staff members. Human resources manager Xavier Broseta had his shirt ripped off as he clambered over barriers to escape, helped by security guards.
