Paris Olympics faces turmoil amid strike threats by workers
Just a week ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, performers have threatened to go on strike over pay and working conditions.
“At this very moment, dress rehearsals for the ceremonies are underway, and we regret to have to announce the filing of a strike notice for the show on July 26, 2024, as well as for the next rehearsals of the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games,” MailOnline cited a spokesman for France's Union of Performing Artists as saying on Thursday.
The spokesman noted that the union has tried to negotiate with the private companies organising the Olympics opening ceremony, outlining “questionable practices, glaring inequalities in treatment, and a lack of social dialogue during the preparations for the ceremonies.”
That came as French trade unionists say profits from the ceremony that will last less than four hours are not being shared with ordinary workers.
Figures have showed that available tickets for the show on the River Seine cost between £700 and £2,200, with hospitality packages more than £3000.
Meanwhile, many of the 3000 dancers, acrobats and actors who will take part in the show are working for exceptionally low wages, with the spokesman for the union representing the performers saying many of them were recruited “under shameful conditions, or without payment.”
Other unions also threaten similar strikes during the opening ceremony, which is expected to be attended by up to 600,000 people.
The performers' union is part of the CGT Confederation of General Workers, which represents the largest number of state employees across France, and it has filed a strike notice covering the entire Olympics and Paralympics.
“The advance notice covers all employees in the health sector, local authorities and the state,” CGT spokesman Céline Verzeletti said.
The strike threats is the latest challenge facing Games organisers in the French capital who are already contending with a terrorist threat and environmental concerns.
Last month, The National cited a counter-terrorism expert as saying that Daesh terrorists have published "detailed" manuals for adapting drones to attack the games.
The Games also comes amid a political limbo, as France is facing a hung parliament as no party or alliance has won the majority of seats.
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