Paris Airports operator ADP secures union deal to end strike

Aeroports de Paris, which runs the French capital’s major airports, reached a key labor agreement in a series of disputes over pay, averting strikes by firefighters that were set to begin Friday.

An accord was signed with the CGT union, prompting fire crews at Charles de Gaulle airport, France’s biggest international hub, to withdraw a threat of further walkouts, ADP said in a statement Thursday.

The accord is vital to the smooth running of the hub since previous action by the emergency workers has shut runways and triggered significant flight cancellations. France’s DGAC civil aviation authority confirmed separately that Charles de Gaulle will function normally from Friday through Sunday said it hasn’t asked airlines to cancel flights.

While more unions still need to sign deals, ADP said that “constructive” negotiations are ongoing. Bloomberg News reported earlier the hub operator was nearing a resolution to the labor strife.

The dispute at the main base of Air France-KLM began last month after ADP employees and workers at sub-contractors walked off the job for a day in a campaign for improved pay. Three days of strikes last week then scuppered up to a fifth of flights and turned Paris into the latest choke-point in Europe’s snarled travel network. The latest action was set to last into the weekend.

Hubs in cities across Europe including London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt have suffered disruption amid labor shortages and industrial action over wages and working conditions.

British Airways earlier reached an agreement with the Unite and GMB unions to head off a strike by check-in staff at London Heathrow airport over pay.