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Air France executives chased from jobs talks | Air France executives chased from jobs talks |
(35 minutes later) | |
Two Air France managers have had their shirts torn as they were forced to flee a meeting on job cuts by angry workers. | |
Human resources manager Xavier Broseta and senior official Pierre Plissonnier had to clamber over a fence, while several others were injured. | |
The men were taking part in talks about plans for 2,900 job losses when hundreds of workers stormed into Air France headquarters at Roissy. | |
Pilots had earlier rejected an offer to work longer hours. | |
Parent firm Air France-KLM said it would take legal action over the protesters' "aggregated violence". | |
The airline later confirmed the job losses as part of a big restructuring that also involved route cuts. | |
The measures include cutting 1,700 ground staff, 900 cabin crew, and 300 pilots, and also a 10% reduction in its long-haul business, a reduction in the size of the aircraft fleet and an increase in pilots' working hours. | |
Security guards helped Mr Broseta flee the protesters by climbing over a fence, but not before his shirt was torn from his back. | |
Air France chief executive Frederic Gagey had already left the room before the works council meeting near Charles de Gaulle airport, north of Paris, was interrupted about an hour after it had begun. | Air France chief executive Frederic Gagey had already left the room before the works council meeting near Charles de Gaulle airport, north of Paris, was interrupted about an hour after it had begun. |
Air France said the restructuring would see the airline's costs reduce by €1.8bn (£1.3bn) over two years. | Air France said the restructuring would see the airline's costs reduce by €1.8bn (£1.3bn) over two years. |
Profits at the airline have been hit in part by strikes by pilots, who have been protesting over the expansion of its budget subsidiary, Transavia. | Profits at the airline have been hit in part by strikes by pilots, who have been protesting over the expansion of its budget subsidiary, Transavia. |
Air France also faces stiff competition from low-cost competition in Europe, as well as long-haul airlines in the Middle East. | Air France also faces stiff competition from low-cost competition in Europe, as well as long-haul airlines in the Middle East. |
Air France, which employs 52, 000 staff, has said that it faced "the impossibility of reaching an agreement to implement the productivity measures to restore long-term profitability". | Air France, which employs 52, 000 staff, has said that it faced "the impossibility of reaching an agreement to implement the productivity measures to restore long-term profitability". |
The company added that it "considered it essential to introduce an alternative plan" and had unanimously agreed to mandate Air France KLM and Air France Management to carry this out. | The company added that it "considered it essential to introduce an alternative plan" and had unanimously agreed to mandate Air France KLM and Air France Management to carry this out. |