LE HAVRE // Francois Hollande denounced a violent protest against Air France managers by striking workers as “unacceptable” on Tuesday, saying it threatened France’s image.
“Social dialogue matters, and when it’s interrupted by violence and disputes take on an unacceptable form, it can have consequences for the image and attractiveness” of the country, said the French President during a visit to a maritime college in northern France.
Images showed the airline’s human resources and labour relations chief Xavier Broseta battling his way through crowds of workers as he sought to escape. He was being jostled and his shirt ripped off and his tie hanging from his neck as he tried to climb a fence.
Air France had informed workers that it plans to cut 2,900 jobs and cancel Boeing 787 jetliners to deliver savings blocked by pilots, including the first forced dismissals since the 1990s.
* Agence France-Presse
