Scheduled for this Saturday, October 17, the airline crew strike will ultimately not take place

Together, they have been protesting for several weeks against the reform toughening the combination of employment and retirement, which must apply from January 1. But “taking into account the progress obtained by our Inter-union PNC/Pilots (SNGAF, SNPNC, SNPL, UNAC, UNSA PNC) with the government which takes the form of a more protective plan, and in an approach of taking a step back and feeling responsible, the decision was taken to suspend the strike notice running for the period from October 17 to 21,” the National Union of Commercial Navigating Personnel (SNPNC) recently communicated.

In a press release titled “Don’t touch my retirement, don’t touch my retirement fund”, these organizations representing pilots, hostesses and stewards had nevertheless spoken out against the tightening of the combination of employment and retirement. Concretely, they believe that this reform - applicable from January 1, 2027 - would be "particularly punitive and unsuitable for the specificities of our professions", highlighting "strict medical monitoring likely to lead to a premature end of career" and "an age of end of activity [...] imposed by law".

As a reminder, from next year new rules will come into force concerning the combination of employment and retirement, included in the Social Security financing law for 2026. But the flight crew unions believe that this reform endangers the CRPN, the Supplementary Pension Fund for pilots, flight attendants and stewards. They particularly criticize the government's desire to “return to the autonomy” of this fund, whose “very favorable” regime (retirement at 55, high benefits, etc.) was criticized last December by the Court of Auditors.

“A long-term struggle”

But their mobilization ultimately “beared fruit” and “made it possible to obtain the correction of the main weaknesses in a new version of the text”, while the old version was considered “fragile”, welcomed the Intersyndicale, welcoming “the strong cohesion” of the group “which made it possible to obtain greater security for the seafarers in this long-term struggle”.

Supported by the Ministry of Labor, the new circular “is now addressed to the Director of the National Old Age Insurance Fund (CNAV) and no longer gives a direct order to the CRPN, thus satisfying the essential condition for its legality”. In addition, it is “written in black and white that pension capping will only apply from the liquidation of the basic retirement pension”. What the Intersyndicale demanded, in addition to the imminent publication of a decree.

But if this announcement appears to be good news for flight crews, passengers and airlines, several reservations have already been put forward by the first parties concerned, who remain “extremely vigilant”. The suspension of the strike “is not a blank check”, specifies the Intersyndicale. If “the imminent publication of the expected decree” in the Official Journal does not arrive or if government commitments do not materialize, a new notice could be filed.