Air France, French officials condemn protesters’ actions
Airline officials detailed a restructuring plan that would cut roughly 2,900 jobs, but the meeting came to a violent end as executives faced protesting workers.
Some are calling the recent employee protest against Air France a modern-day “Les Misérables.”
Though social media users were ready with quips and memes, French officials weren’t laughing.
On Monday, Air France executives met with the Central Works Council in order to present its progress on a restructuring plan meant to cut costs and bring the airline back to profitability. The plan includes roughly 2,900 job cuts—300 pilots, 900 flight attendants and 1,700 ground crew members.
The meeting ended with the airline’s CEO, Frédéric Gagey, leaving quickly, and executives Xavier Broseta and Pierre Plissonnier had their shirts and jacket torn by protesting workers who had broken through a locked fence outside the airline’s offices.
Both Broseta and Plissonnier fled protestors by climbing over a tall fence, with the assistance of security guards.
Twitter users mocked the executives:
“Allez allez un peu d’effort Jean-Philippe le totem d’immunité est au bout!” pic.twitter.com/yc26O5G20X
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