Is Air France becoming a hotbed of religious fundamentalism, as the head of one of the company's unions suggested in recent comments? Some employees have also reported a rise in sectarian attitudes at the airline.
Air France employee Sophie* clearly remembers the 2011 halal "scandal" at the French capital's Charles de Gaulle airport.
“The General Workers Union (CGT) wanted to introduce halal meat in the staff cafeteria. There were petitions, then security was increased… It went very badly,” said Sophie, who has worked at France’s largest airport for 10 years.
The controversy prompted several unions to step in, citing what they saw as rising sectarianism at the company. There have been several accounts in the press about employees who refused, for example, to shake hands with or speak to women, or who became angry with Muslims who chose not to observe Ramadan. [France24] Read more
