UNION COALITION IN FRANCE CONDEMNS BOSSES AT DISNEYLAND PARIS

France’s National Union of Autonomous Unions (UNSA), a trade-union coalition, has charged that working conditions at Disneyland Paris (formerly Euro Disney) have deteriorated, that there is little dialogue between the workers and administrators, and that there has been a “sharpening of disciplinary measures. The charges were contained in an email to the park’s chairman, Philippe Gas, and comes at a time when the park has been forced to impose cutbacks following a severe slump in attendance that has resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in revenue, the attempted suicide of a park employee, and a petition campaign that has now garnered 7,000 signatures protesting against the declining appeal of the park for visitors. The petition, published in part by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine, said in part: “The many years of budget cuts in maintenance, entertainment and food and beverage, have left the resort in an unacceptable neglected state … Many themed elements are decaying and crumbling, while others are literally falling apart.” Forty percent of the park is owned by the Walt Disney Co., with the remaining 60 percent owned by Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and others.