Union tells Air France staff to boycott US flights to protest Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’

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A trade union which represents hundreds of Air France staff, has urged its members to boycott Donald Trump’s travel ban by refusing to work on US-bound flight

The Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT), which means the General Confederation of Labour when translated into English, said Air France had a duty to support its passengers “of all religions and nationalities”.

Their members were within their rights to “refuse to be involved” with the ban, it said.

It also called into question the legality of the US President’s executive order, which temporarily barred refugees and travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.

Mr Trump's measures also suspended refugee resettlement in the US for 120 days and barred Syrian refugees indefinitely.

The CGT called them "discriminatory and racist" in a statement.

"To dare associate nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries with terrorism is a provocation and incitement to hatred unworthy of a nation built on diversity," it said. “Air France has an obligation to support its passengers, of all religions and nationalities, and must express clearly its refusal to implement illegal measures."

It came as the company was heavily criticised over the weekend for preventing passengers from boarding as a result of the rules.

The carrier said it had to abide by immigration requirements of the countries that it flies to.

However the CGT questioned whether this was the right action to take.

“Why did we bar them from boarding? Why should we apply American law on our soil to the detriment of our legitimate passengers? To inform and forewarn our passengers of the measures taken by the US Government is one thing, but to refuse them boarding on our planes is another thing that CGT, Air France and its staff cannot tolerate,” it said.

“We invite all staff that are offended by these anti-humanist practices to refuse to work on US-bound flights under these conditions.”

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents travel industry executives, said suspending travel based only on a person's nationality or origin was wrong and called on the Trump administration to reconsider the ban.

"None of the shocking domestic incidents in the US since 2001 have been attributed to external terrorists who have specifically flown into the country to commit an atrocity," WTTC president and CEO David Scowsill said. "Preventing 'aliens' from entering the US for legitimate business or leisure purposes is misguided and counter-productive for the American economy."

The United Nations also condemned the ban as “mean-spirited” and illegal under human rights law.