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Air France cabin crew, represented by the SNPNC-FO and UNSA-PNC, plan to go on strike July 27-Aug 2. The dispute is over a new collective agreement for the period Nov 2016 to March 2018. Talks continued late into the night July 21 and, the morning of July 22, Air France management presented a draft agreement with “several advances” toward meeting union demands. Air France CE Frédéric Gagey said the company had “gone as far as it could” in proposing compromises to release the deadlock, but the deadline for the cabin crew to sign the agreement—which had already been extended to midnight July 22—passed without resolution. He added that the call for strike action, at the height of the summer holidays, was “irresponsible” and came at the “worst possible time.” <br/>

KLM Airlines ground staff, represented by the FNV union, is threatening industrial action triggered by talks toward a new labour agreement. “July 21, KLM received an ultimatum from the FNV union in response to KLM’s final proposal for a new collective labour agreement for ground personnel. In its ultimatum, the FNV union said it will take labour action if KLM does not issue a written response before Tuesday, July 26, accepting the FNV’s demands, some of which are new,” KLM said. The carrier said it will consider FNV’s proposal, but added that the other ground handling unions are planning to present the deal to their members “in neutral terms.” Among other items, the proposal on the table includes a salary increase from Jan 1, 2018, employment protection, a E1,600 pay-out and a “significantly improved” profit-sharing scheme. <br/>