A Disneyland Paris cast member who went on strike this summer was abruptly fired this week for waffle toppings.
Cast members at Disneyland Paris went on strike in May and June, demanding wage increases to match inflation and better quality of life working conditions. The strike canceled several parades and fireworks. French strike rules even allowed cast members to march in the park. The strike has been suspended for now, but is expected to resume in September.
Loris Tableau, 20, was among the hundreds of cast members who went on strike at the time. Tableau was abruptly fired on August 14 after working at Disneyland Paris for a year. Le Parisien report.
Tableau’s dismissal letter cited the June 26 incident as the reason for his dismissal. On that day, Tableau was working at Les Chariot Gourmand, a stall selling waffles with various toppings. Around 4:55 pm, guests asked for waffles with both Whipped His Cream and Nutella. Mr Tableau said he had to choose one of the two toppings, which is standard policy at the stand.
Guests later complained about Tableau’s tone with Disneyland Paris’ customer service, describing him as “nonchalant” (which has a more negative connotation in the original French).
Tableau points out that if he had offered both toppings, other customers in line would have expected similar treatment and would have been hit hard against the menu. .
He also noted that although he had received compliments from guests in the past, this was the first known complaint, making it even more unusual for him to be fired for it. Normally, it would be a summons or suspension, he said.
Tableau believes his dismissal was partly due to his involvement in the strike.His name and photo were previously published Le Monde In an article about the June 7 strike.
“I’m upset,” Mr Tableau told Le Parisien (translated). “It’s the company I wanted to work for and the one I devoted my days to for a year. Only once did I fail to bring the magic to life and I was fired shortly after.”
Le Parisien It also previously reported that five cast members disrupted a performance of “Disney Dreams!” in early June, causing the fireworks to be cancelled. Five were suspended and summoned to a meeting regarding possible dismissals. The reason for the suspension was not disclosed before the meeting.
One of these cast members said it was clear this was due to going on strike and was a warning to other cast members who were planning to go on strike later this year.
Read more about the cast member strike at Disneyland Paris:
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