Paris Olympics at risk due to potential 7-month strike

Photo by Furknsaglam from Pexels

Employees of the Autonomous Administration of Parisian Transport (RATP) warned of a seven-month strike that began on February 5 and will last until the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, according to BFMTV, citing a statement from one of the country’s largest trade unions, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT).

The strike should last from February 5 to September 9. It will involve “all RATP personnel,” as follows from the letter that was sent to the head of the transport administration Jean Castex. The decision was made in connection with “the disagreement stated on Monday, January 29, regarding inadequate pay measures for 2024.”

The CGT put forward a number of demands, including “the abolition of the rate cap, the reassessment and expansion of [the] hourly range for additional and travel expenses, the negotiation of shorter working hours based on a 32-hour week,” and the inclusion of an “employment supplement” for low-income people in the staff regulations.

“We want the government to take immediate action to ensure the success of the Games,” Sophie Binet said. “For this to happen, our warnings must be heeded and the Games must be prepared from a social point of view. We’ve been saying the same thing for months now, and no one cares. It’s getting very tiresome.”

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The social situation in France remains tense, with protests by teachers, police officers, and farmers in recent weeks, following massive demonstrations last year against the retirement age increase. Binet stated that the Games’ hosting will affect thousands of workers, forcing them to work longer hours and postponing their vacation.

The International Olympic Committee, on the other hand, expressed confidence in French preparations for the Paris Games on March 8, saying it was “not worried” about the possibility of trade union strikes.

After the final inspection of French preparations before the start of the Olympics on July 26, senior IOC official Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant stated that he was “full of confidence“.

When asked about strike threats, the head of the IOC’s coordination commission for the Paris Games said, “We don’t have any worries. There’s a dialogue underway.” 

“At this stage, we’re very confident that solutions will be found because there’s a collective desire to see the Paris Games be the celebration they deserve to be,” he added.

According to the Paris Organising Committee, approximately two million tickets for the Olympics remain to be sold, with one million reserved for football. The final release of tickets for all sports will take place around April 17, 100 days from the start date.