International Business

Air France Labor Protests Snarl Airports: Striking Air France employees blocked runways and paralyzed two Paris airports Tuesday to protest a plan to cut jobs and wages at the money-losing government-owned airline. Some flights were diverted to provincial cities. On the island of Corsica, Air France workers held three company executives captive in an office for a second day, to protest plans to close the Ajaccio and Bastia offices. The protests were part of a wave of job actions occurring in France in recent weeks in reaction to cutbacks due to recession and the conservative government's plans to streamline and sell off state-owned companies.