Workers at a five-star hotel in Paris, where members of the International Olympic Committee are staying, went on strike just a day before the Games' opening ceremony. The major French union CGT revealed that the IOC paid the Hôtel du Collectionneur 22 million euros for exclusive use of the facility.
A video posted on social media by the Paris division of the CGT showed around a dozen staff members lining a corridor inside the hotel, holding signs demanding fair treatment. The employees were seeking a pay increase after not receiving a raise for seven years, with slogans like 'No 13th month, no Olympics!' and 'Luxury hotel, poverty wages'.
Despite the hotel paying out a dividend of over 9.5 million euros to shareholders this year, the union claimed that no efforts were made to address the financial concerns of the staff. Negotiations broke down after a fifth round of talks on Wednesday.
In a separate incident, around 200 performers staged a protest along the Seine River, refusing to participate in a rehearsal for the opening ceremony. They were highlighting issues related to working conditions and inequality in the treatment of entertainment workers at the Paris games.
These protests come amidst heightened tensions following recent legislative elections in France, leading to concerns about potential governing paralysis. The CGT's general secretary, Sophie Binet, has called for mass demonstrations and potential strikes to pressure President Emmanuel Macron to acknowledge the election results and allow a left-wing coalition to form a new government.
While Binet did not rule out strikes during the Olympics, she mentioned that there were no immediate plans for disruptions during the Games. However, the CGT has issued an open call for potential strikes by public service workers from July through September.
