The management of Air France, which is currently leading a plan to cut 6,500 jobs, is seeking to make additional savings.
A few days ago, as part of the NAO (compulsory annual negotiation), the company told the unions that it was working on two tracks.
First, reduce the number of days off for its employees: in this scheme, ground personnel would lose three and flight personnel (pilots, flight attendants and stewards) four.
Then, Air France would like to reinstate the 13th month in the base salary.
An operation which would make it possible to have the State take charge of this end-of-year bonus under the APLD (long-term partial activity).
The best paid employees of the company are already subject to this regime.
This change would only concern employees with lower incomes.
However, this would reduce their payslip: on days when they are on short-time work, the state only pays them 84% of their net salary.
And, unlike some employers, Air France does not compensate for the missing 16%.
The company is not sure of achieving its goals: it cannot impose this plan on its employees but must obtain the agreement of the majority unions.
Employee representatives are waiting to learn more to take a position.
"We do not know what amount of savings this would achieve for the company",
illustrates Christophe Mallogi, FO general secretary of Air France, the first union of the company.
They should know more in early April, at the next NAO meeting.
Contacted, Air France did not wish to react.
These measures would be in addition to the previously announced wage freeze this year.
If Air France is putting pressure on its social partners, it is because air traffic is still sluggish.
Because of the Covid-19 variants, the resumption of activity is no longer expected at Easter but in the summer.
The only good news: the consent of the European Union, prior to the recapitalization of Air France by the State, is becoming clearer.
"We are on the verge of concluding an agreement,"
Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy
,
said on Monday.
