PARIS.- Workers at a five-star hotel in Paris where members of the International Olympic Committee are staying (COI) began a work stoppage on Thursday and decided to walk off the job a day before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
According to the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the main union of FranceThe IOC paid the Hôtel du Collectionneur, where the strike is taking place, 22 million euros ($23.88 million) for exclusive use of the venue.
The Paris branch of the CGT posted a video on social media that appears to show the interior of the hotel with a dozen workers lined up in a corridor. The employees hold signs reading: “No 13th month, no Olympics!”, “Luxury hotel, poverty wages” and “Give us back our social benefits.”
Many companies pay their workers a bonus in December, known as the 13th month.
The CGT said the workers were demanding a pay rise because they had not had any raises in seven years. The strike was precipitated after the fifth round of negotiations ended without any resolution on Wednesday.
A woman who answered the phone at the Hôtel du Collectionneur said the business would not comment.
Although dividends of more than 9.5 million euros ($10.3 million) were distributed to members this year, the union said the hotel had not attempted to improve the financial situation of its staff.
More protests
In a separate protest, around 200 artists stood along the River Seine on Monday and refused to take part in rehearsals for Friday’s opening ceremony in protest of working conditions and unequal treatment of entertainment workers during the Games.
The protests come as tensions mount following parliamentary elections that left France on the brink of government paralysis.
Sophie Binet, secretary general of the CGT, called this month for a mass demonstration and possible work stoppages to pressure President Emmanuel Macron to “respect the results” of the election and allow a left-wing coalition to form a new government.
Binet did not rule out strikes during the Games. Asked about possible protests that could affect the biggest event in French history, he said: “At the moment, we are not planning to protest during the Olympic Games. But if Emmanuel Macron continues to pour gasoline on the fires he has lit…”
The CGT is calling for public sector workers to strike between July and September.
Source: AP
