Was astonished to see this, do you think what these people did is right?

[Mia]

Air France workers rip shirts from executives after airline cuts 2,900 jobs

Staff storm board meeting at Charles de Gaulle airport and force executives to flee, with one clambering over fence half-naked.
Striking staff at Air France have taken demonstrating their anger with direct action to a shocking new level. Approximately 100 workers forced their way into a meeting of the airline’s senior management and ripped the shirts from the backs of the executives.

The airline filed a criminal complaint after the employees stormed its headquarters, near Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, in what was condemned as a “scandalous” outbreak of violence.

Photographs showed one ashen-faced director being led through a baying crowd, his clothes torn to shreds. In another picture, the deputy head of human resources, bare-chested after workers ripped off his shirt and jacket, is seen being pushed to safety over a fence.

Tensions between management and workers at France’s loss-making flagship carrier had been building over the weekend in the runup to a meeting to finalise a controversial “restructuring plan” involving 2,900 redundancies between now and 2017. The proposed job losses involve 1,700 ground staff, 900 cabin crew and 300 pilots.

After the violence erupted at about 9.30am on Monday morning, there was widespread condemnation from French union leaders who sought to blame each other’s members for the assaults.

Laurent Berger, secretary general of the CFDT, said the attacks were “undignified and unacceptable”, while Claude Mailly, of Force Ouvrière (Workers Force) said he understood Air France workers’ exasperation, but added: “One can fight management without being violent.”

Manuel Valls, France’s prime minister, said he was “scandalised” by the behaviour of the workers and offered the airline chiefs his “full support”.

Air France said it had lodged an official police complaint for “aggravated violence”.

See the photos and balance of the article here: http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...m-meeting-protest-executives-job-losses-paris


The action itself surprised me, what do you think about this?

 

[AsheSkyler]

After reading about the French Revolution, I could never be surprised to hear about the working class revolting against those in positions of authority. This is the first I've heard about an airline, but I know the economy sucks worldwide a bit. Perhaps they're just victims of the times, perhaps they were being demanding and unreasonable. I'm not able to make a call on it.

 

[DC1346]

Hmmmmm ... well ... on the one hand, I can understand the frustration of the employees. It's hard to eke out a living whist knowing that the high ranking muckity mucks all have "golden parachutes" and earn huge bonuses and other perks while you're "in the trenches" just struggling to make ends meet ... and now the news comes that Air France wants to CUT 2,900 jobs by 2017.

While management wants to cut costs by slashing jobs, is management making any sacrifices at all? Will they forgo raises or bonuses or some of their many perks? Back in 2004 when KLM merged with Air France, senior management got bonuses that equaled 50% of their annual salaries. Was there any trickle down effect for the rank and file?

On the other hand, the Air France employees won't win any national or even international sympathy if they act like thugs.

Think about the iconic images that came out of the Civil Rights protests in the U.S. during the 50's and 60's. White police officers holding onto the leashes of angry snarling dogs were seen viciously beating unarmed black protesters. Contrast that with the "Black lives matter" movement in which mobs of people are throwing rocks and bottles at the police, looting shops, and torching vehicles. I am not BTW suggesting that the Black Lives Matter movement does not actually matter. I am pointing out that the way some of these people have chosen to protest is in direct contrast with the non violent protests that were encouraged by Dr. Martin Luther King.

How can the Air France employees claim to be "victimized" by their employers when they're the ones in the national media who are actively victimizing the board of directors?

And do these people really think that the Board of Directors is going to be sympathetic to their point of view given their recent behavior?

 

[Mia]

After reading about the French Revolution, I could never be surprised to hear about the working class revolting against those in positions of authority.

You make a good point Ashe, they are somewhat anti-authoritarian in France. Yet there is a real divide between the professional and non-professional class. A little less extreme than other EU nations though. Maybe that really is what its all about still blue-collar versus white collar.

 

[Mia]

Hmmmmm ... well ... on the one hand, I can understand the frustration of the employees. It's hard to eke out a living whist knowing that the high ranking muckity mucks all have "golden parachutes" and earn huge bonuses and other perks while you're "in the trenches" just struggling to make ends meet ... and now the news comes that Air France wants to CUT 2,900 jobs by 2017.

While management wants to cut costs by slashing jobs, is management making any sacrifices at all? Will they forgo raises or bonuses or some of their many perks? Back in 2004 when KLM merged with Air France, senior management got bonuses that equaled 50% of their annual salaries. Was there any trickle down effect for the rank and file?

It is axiomatic that management does seem to have the upper hand most of the time. Yet they only exist on the labour of these people, yet have many more benefits than the workers do. They are mainly there for control of the workers. I'm doubtful if they will take any salary cuts or lose in benefits in the offing. Perhaps acting like thugs is the only thing that will work at this point.

 

[Judge]

It is axiomatic that management does seem to have the upper hand most of the time.

Not to mention that such a dynamic is directly related to a faltering/recovering economy. When workers are inevitably negotiating from a perspective of weakness rather than strength. Regardless of the moral perspective of their grievances.

 

[AsheSkyler]

You make a good point Ashe, they are somewhat anti-authoritarian in France. Yet there is a real divide between the professional and non-professional class. A little less extreme than other EU nations though. Maybe that really is what its all about still blue-collar versus white collar.

I'm starting to think professional vs. non-professional is a driving factor in nearly everything, since it also leads to the classic rich vs. poor problem. And we all have probably experienced that one in some form or another.