A French performing artists union has cited “glaring inequalities in treatment”
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is at risk after performers announced they would go on strike a week before the event.
A French performing artists union released a strike notice on Wednesday, citing “glaring inequalities in treatment” between the artists recruited for the show.
“At this very moment, dress rehearsals for the ceremonies are underway, and we regret to have to announce the filing of a strike notice for the show on July 26, 2024,” the French Union of Performing Artists (SFA-CGT) has said.
The rehearsals of the opening ceremonies for the Paralympic Games in August will also be affected, the statement added.
The union says it alerted the executive producer of the ceremonies about an agreement violation “on several occasions” and also mentioned “questionable practices, glaring inequalities in treatment, and a lack of social dialogue” during preparations for the event.
Among the listed grievances were large fluctuations in pay for the entertainment workers and the provisioning of accommodation only for some artists who come from outside of Paris.
SFA-CGT said it had proposed negotiations but claimed the organizers “seem to be playing for time by not scheduling any new meetings.”
A spokesperson for the Olympic organizers told AFP that service provider Paname 24 “strictly complied with the law” and offered “a fee higher than the agreed minimum.”
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is slated for Friday, July 26, and is expected to feature 3,000 dancers, musicians, and actors performing along the banks of the River Seine. It will be the first time the inauguration of the games takes place outside of a stadium.
The security situation in the French capital is currently in the spotlight after two stabbing incidents this week left a soldier and a police officer seriously injured.
