Air France has signed an agreement with the majority of its
unionized employees, a move that should put an end to the labor strife that led
to the replacement of its CEO over the summer.
In an announcement Friday, the carrier said that unions
representing 76.4% of employees who voted in the last union elections are party
to the deal.
"This agreement is therefore considered valid and will
be implemented," the carrier said.
Unions representing Air France cabin crew and ground staff
are party to the deal, but not the primary Air France pilots' union.
Under the agreement's terms, employees will receive a 2% pay
increase retroactive to Jan. 1 and another increase of 2% on Jan. 1, 2019.
The next round of negotiations between the airline and the
Air France employee unions will begin next October.
The deal was reached just more than a month after Ben Smith
took over as the new Air France CEO. Smith's predecessor, Jean-Marc Jenaillac,
resigned in May on the heels of 15 days of labor strikes over the previous
three months.