PARIS – In a welcome development for sports enthusiasts, Paris airport workers have called off a planned strike that threatened to disrupt travel just before the Olympic Games.
The announcement on Tuesday came after an agreement was reached on bonuses and was finalized between three representative unions and ADP (Groupe ADP) management.
“We’re lifting the strike warning; there’s a majority deal,” confirmed Rachid Eddaidj, secretary general of the CFDT union at Paris Airports (ADP).
The unions had initially planned a strike for Wednesday, demanding larger Olympic bonuses and increased staff recruitment.
Under the new deal, a “standardized bonus for every worker at ADP” has been secured, along with additional bonuses for those assisting Olympic delegations and handling their baggage.
Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, alongside Paris’ train stations, will serve as key entry points for international visitors, athletes, and their equipment during the Olympics.
As much as 50 million euros ($54 million) have been invested in infrastructure upgrades for the Paris Olympics, while French authorities are deploying extra resources to ensure smooth and secure operations during the mega event.
Charles de Gaulle Airport is preparing for peak traffic of up to 300,000 travelers in a single day, significantly higher than the summer daily average of 200,000.
The busiest days are anticipated to be post-Olympics, following the closing ceremony on August 11, when spectators, officials, and most of the 10,000 athletes will leave the country.
Upon exiting the terminals, travelers will encounter multi-lingual “welcome teams” providing travel advice and ticket-purchasing assistance at train stations. The government has also beefed up security measures to avoid any untoward incident.
