Easyjet in court over labour laws

[Dan Winterland]

From the BBC website.

Easyjet in French court over labour laws

Easyjet says it fully complied with its obligations under French law
Easyjet is facing court action in Paris, charged with breaking French labour laws.

The airline is alleged to have failed to declare 170 staff employed at Paris Orly airport between 2003 and 2006.

The airline says it could be fined up to £200,000 in unpaid social security contributions. Other reports put the figure at nearer 10m euros.

Easyjet argues that because the staff were hired under British contracts, they were not subject to French rules.

"Easyjet, a UK registered company, believed it fully complied and met its obligations under French law, which did not at the time clearly cater for a UK company operating with French base and domestic routes," the airline said in a statement.

The company says that when the law changed in 2007, it moved to issuing French contracts.

The case is being heard in court on Friday, with a judgement expected in a few weeks' time.

[ab33t]

Anything to save a buck

[blackred1443]

Ahhhh but we don't see the bigger picture. Three cheers for cor:ok:

[A and C]

Turning the labour laws on a British company is a bit rich from the French, this is just another move to keep France a closed shop for the French.

While the rest of the EEC are slowly alowing the free movment of labour the French are not!

[Orange Peel]

Turning the labour laws on a British company is a bit rich from the French, this is just another move to keep France a closed shop for the French.

While the rest of the EEC are slowly alowing the free movment of labour the French are not!

A and C, well I suppose easyJet could employ people in France and the UK on say Hungarian or Polish T&C's. Due to the free movement of labour that you so desire would that be acceptable to you?

There are plenty of expats at our French bases and this has nothing to do with keeping jobs for the French.

[captplaystation]

Looking at both sides of the argument I can see justification which ever way you feel.
The French are p1ssed off because easy employees living and working in France may not be making the same (fairly substantial from the company) contribution as someone would be on a French contract, whilst simultaneously "enjoying" the public services etc etc.
It could be argued that by avoiding those high charges and employing someone on a contract originating in a cheaper country (like Ireland for the "other" team :hmm: ) that it gives an unfair commercial advantage over local operators.
All well & good , except. . . the employment of those individuals, and levying of taxes/social charges in the country of origin of their employer as opposed to where they are based, is AFAIK perfectly acceptable under EEC law as it applies to this industry.
So, who is to say what are the rights & wrongs here.
France has decided that this particular EEC law doesn't suit them, as well I can understand, but shouldn't they be trying to lobby to have the law changed, rather than unilaterally imposing their national laws on a non-french company operating perfectly legally within their territory.
What's the deal, if you don't like the law ignore it or impose one you prefer, or act correctly and have it changed at source.
I imagine this will end with Easy being found guilty under French law & being told "well, if you want to operate in our country you have to respect our law" even if that wasn't exactly how it was at the time, it is now, so pay up or Goodbye. This does not strike me as correct, but I cannot see a French court finding any differently.

[racedo]

Funny that France has always ignored this law when it has applied to low paid staff working for UK holiday providers in France.............yup thats right Eurocamp / Keycamp and others pay their staff UK minimum wage plus deduct substantial accommodation costs from them and as a result the staff are paid well below what they would if they were French employees and have limited acces to services.

[lowcostdolly]

Cor deserves his "three cheers" here. For once he wasn't involved in the latest management c:mad:k up!! In 2003-2006 he didn't work for EZY. Mike Sucks,that equally warm and crew friendly people person was the Ops Director around then.

I remember this vaguely. The BCCM at Orly being arrested to help the french police with their enquiries. Emails being churned out by the orange house to everyone denying all knowledge of any wrong doing within hours:hmm:

French contracts were then addressed almost instantaneously if I recall. Not because the french changed the law but because EZY were caught with their hands in the till under french employment law. Whatever we may think of french law or how they apply it at the end of the day it is their law and EZY operate in their country.

So EZY are pleading ignorance as their defence. What a croc!! This case highlights the scant regard for employment law and T&C's generally by EZY management and borne out by many pilot posts. This time they won't be able to settle between lawyers under the table as they do in the UK.

Good for the french authorites in forcing them into court :ok:

Giving the benefit of the doubt re ignorance amoungst the OP's dept then where was the People Director? You know that highly salaried and bonus grabbing head of HR who is the expert on all things employment law. The same person who is on EZY's recruitment site as saying "nobody is expanding into europe as we are". A reasonable assumption then that he would probably be aware of european law as that is his job!! And if he isn't then he would know who to ask wouldn't he? We do have company appointed lawyers who would advise.

The one thing that will happen if EZY are fined here (and they will be) is that it won't be management who suffer. The fine won't be deducted from their bonus but will translate into the crew's having to forgo something else or pay extra.

Nice one Andy! :(

[Teddy Robinson]

Cityjet were doing this for years ... all they did was re-base all of the French crew to LCY or DUB .. it's a paperwork exercise.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

EasyJet denies skirting French labour charges - Times Online (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article6999123.ece)

The case revolves around the law before 2007. Post 2007 the law changed, was clear and easyJet complied with it and expanded its French operations markedly. Generally a FTSE 123rd ranked PLc with £1.4bn turnover doesn't try scam a bit of employee tax here and there... The judiciary in France is considerably more 'political' than in the UK.


WWW

[Hudson Bay]

Flybe got taken to the cleaners for exactly the same thing many years ago. I don't think Easy have a leg to stand on.

[captplaystation]

I would love to say you have some axe to grind, but. . . . I am 100% sure what you say is correct. :hmm:
Businesses these days are run by feckin pirates, and we ask why we are being robbed at every corner ? Sheesh, we should wise up. :ugh:

BM, (BMI )had a base in CDG (and ORY ) briefly, which I benefited from, and no French social charges were ever paid for aircrew, although they were much more circumspect with Cabin & Ground Crew (as it was cheaper no doubt)
Same thing for Gill, bit of the same for JEA/BEA whatever you want to call them, and City jet , well, the Irish always find a way :ok: like Ryanair (so far :suspect: )
As I said earlier, I can see the rights & wrongs from both sides,having benefited in both senses, but I think a European harmony must be found here.
BTW if they want to work so hard on taking a speeding fine from me in my Spanish car with a British driving licence whilst driving in France , at least have the courtesy to arrange that I can have medical treatment if I cock up
and trash my motor, having paid my social charges in Ireland. . . Oh no, that is much more complicated := SOD the EEC I say. :mad: