If You’re Heading to Paris on This Date, Prepare for Strikes
More problems for the Paris Olympics. If You’re Heading to Paris on This Date, Prepare for Strikes
Paris Olympics 2024 are scheduled to begin in two weeks—on July 26. But in the latest setback for the city, airport workers are planning a protest just a day before athletes are scheduled to arrive. For obvious reasons, it has the potential to make life miserable for everyone flying in and out of the City of Light.
A union representing workers at Paris’ two big airports, Orly and Charles de Gaulle, is threatening strike action on July 17. The union is unhappy that its members haven’t received a bonus for working through the Olympics. Euronews reported that the union criticized the chief executive’s decision to pay a bonus to some personnel.
Around 350,000 people are expected to pass through these airports daily during the games. If the strike continues, airport security and the baggage carousel will be chaotic even if flights continue without cancellations.
The air traffic control (ATC) is fortunately not part of industrial action this time because of an Olympic truce struck last year. This April, thousands of flights were affected when they ordered a strike but later backed out.
Airport staff are not the only ones demanding more from the government. Police, trash collectors, and train drivers have requested a wage increase for working through the games this summer, which falls during the traditional holiday period. French police threatened to disturb the torch relay after the government held up their promised bonuses, while rubbish collectors have warned of action during the games.
Every Olympics brings its own set of controversies to the host city. In Paris, hotel rates skyrocketed last year, and metro prices have doubled. Locals are frustrated about the games due to construction, crowding, and rising prices, and they have been telling people not to come. It may have worked because hotel occupancy rates are still low, and many are skipping the city altogether.
It may seem hilarious, but protesters have threatened to poop in the River Seine, which has undergone a massive cleaning effort to prepare for several Olympic events, including the triathlon. Despite concerns that the water is contaminated, President Emmanuel Macron promised to take a dip in the river. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has also said she will swim in the river next week to reassure people of its cleanliness.
In another embarrassing scandal, a New York Times investigation has found that French authorities are busing homeless people out of Paris, promising housing in other cities, though not always delivering lodgings. In some instances, people have been flagged for deportation.
In other news, Team USA announced they will bring their air conditioning units to France for the games. The Olympic Village is set to be green with eco-friendly cooling solutions (without AC units). But these could be the hottest games in history, so athletes—not just from the U.S. but also the U.K., Denmark, and Australia—are not taking any chances.
No matter what else happens this summer, the Olympics will be eventful and might be remembered for a host of reasons beyond the competition itself.
This article was first posted on www.fodors.com
