The strike that began this Thursday at Air Tahiti and at Somstat has produced a notably strong mobilization among refueling staff. At Somstat, 15 of the 19 employees in the refueling service stopped work, compared with around forty strikers among the airline’s roughly 1,600 employees. If the movement has already led to the cancellation of three flights out of the 28 scheduled for this Thursday, its impact could evolve on Friday as the rotation schedule is adjusted according to the available staff. Beyond the disruptions, workers denounce difficult working conditions, a shortage of personnel, and commitments that seem slow to be implemented.
“I’m always open to discussions,” assures Cyril Le Gayic this Thursday. The CSIP spokesperson was present this morning at Tahiti-Faa’a Airport, on the first day of the strike at Air Tahiti and at Somstat, the company in charge of refueling aircraft. At Air Tahiti, four categories of employees are affected: ramp agents assigned to domestic and international flights, maintenance workers, and commercial flight crew (PNC). These roles are particularly exposed to difficult working conditions, notes the union representative: “I have asked that we improve their situation.”
Cyril Le Gayic, however, prefers not to venture a number regarding how many strikers there are within the airline. “This is the first day,” he explains, adding that a “definite number” will only be available starting tomorrow.
According to figures provided by Air Tahiti, about forty employees out of the roughly 1,600 in the company are currently taking part in the movement. About half of them are commercial flight crew (PNC).
By 1:00 p.m. this Thursday, three flights had been canceled out of the 28 scheduled for the day. Among them was the school charter VT 139, departing from Tahiti and heading to Rangiroa, Kaukura, and Niau. For Friday, October 23, the flight schedule is being adjusted based on the non-striking staff currently recorded. The company states that passengers affected by changes will be notified by SMS and is inviting them to regularly check the status of their flight on its website, particularly before departure.
“They should have called us; that would have saved us from traveling”
The negotiations undertaken to try to avert the industrial action did not succeed. Cyril Le Gayic says he is disappointed after the meeting with Air Tahiti’s management, held the day before. According to him, employee representatives had been invited to convey the essential points they wished to discuss in order to find a way to resolve the conflict. Yet the afternoon discussions reportedly lasted only five minutes, the time for management to announce that it could not respond favorably to their demands. “They should have called us; that would have saved us from traveling,” he regrets.
The union leader also criticizes management for failing to honor several commitments set out in an agreement, despite the deadlines. “Unless we got the year wrong. Instead of 2026, they could have told us it would be implemented in 2030. That way, perhaps we wouldn’t be on strike,” he jokes. In addition to these unfulfilled commitments, he notes administrative errors in the management of employees, notably concerning the calculation of paid leave and the recognition of certain additional entitlements.
“Things heated up” at Somstat
At Somstat, the movement mobilizes 15 of the 19 staff in the refueling service, i.e., nearly 80% of the workforce, according to one striker. At the heart of their demands: a persistent staffing shortage that has lingered since 2007, and a call for four permanent hires (CDI). “They only hire temporary workers,” laments one worker, denouncing a “continuous and constant” precarious situation. The employee also claims that retirements are not systematically replaced, sometimes forcing a single agent to cover the work of two, or even three people. A situation that would weigh on team motivation and could, in her view, have safety implications.
The strikers are also demanding a revision of benefits and bonuses, which they deem poorly suited to the rising cost of living. Despite three meetings with management prior to the strike’s start, they feel they have not been heard. A new meeting took place this Thursday morning in a tense atmosphere, according to another striker: “Things heated up.” Finally, the worker denounces access restrictions to the depot since the start of the strike, notably to the restrooms. According to her, management brought in a security guard whose job was to prevent the strikers from entering.
| Information on fictitious flights
Passengers affected by changes to flights will receive notifications by SMS or email. If you receive a notification by SMS or email indicating a modification for a flight whose number is between 1001 and 1019, please disregard it. These flights are fictitious and therefore not real. They are created solely to preserve your reservation. This measure will keep your reservation active and will facilitate reconfirmation on a new real flight when flights resume. You will then receive a second SMS with your real flight number. Modification and refund terms To best assist passengers during this period, modification and refund fees will not be charged for the duration of the strike. Specific conditions are in place:
Passengers wishing to modify their trip or reach an island on their own are invited to contact the Air Tahiti agency or the travel agency through which their ticket was purchased. The company will keep passengers regularly informed of the situation’s evolution and the flight schedule through its website, its social media, and the media. |
