Air France to cut more than 5,000 jobs
Air France is to axe more than 5,000 jobs as part of a 2 billion euro cost-cutting programme.
The airline – which is part of the Air France-KLM group – has said it is seeking agreement with unions to reduce its Air France workforce by 5,122 by the end of 2013.
It said 1,712 of the total cuts among its 50,000 contracted French workers would be achieved through attrition, with the balance coming from retirement, voluntary departures, part-time working and work-sharing.
If agreed, this should reduce the risk of strikes which have plagued Air France over the years.
The majority of departures will be among ground staff, although 450 pilot positions will also go.
"If the plan goes as expected, recourse to compulsory departures will also be avoided in 2014," it said, reports the Financial Times.
But it warned that, without agreement with the workforce "non-voluntary departures would not be avoidable".
Air France-KLM, which is 16% owned by the French state, reported an operating loss of €597m in the first quarter of this year.
It is battling high operating costs and a heavy debt burden.
An AT Kearney study showed that Air France’s costs, excluding fuel and landing charges, were 30 per cent higher on average than its competitors, including traditional rivals such as Lufthansa.
Friday 22nd June 2012
Diane
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