Weeklong Strike Continues at Disneyland Paris

Euro Disney said Wednesday that it hopes for a breakthrough in talks aimed at ending a weeklong strike at its theme park outside Paris, but workers were in no mood to drop their demands for higher pay.

The walkout at Disneyland Paris began with parade performers and technicians; restaurant workers later joined in.

Euro Disney said the daily parade continued as scheduled and that the vast majority of its 13,000 employees were on the job. It said about 40 stage performers and 15 technicians were on strike, but the Communist-controlled General Labor Confederation put the number at about 150.

Strikers holding protest banners in French, English and Spanish said their action would continue indefinitely and that only 35 artists participated in Wednesday’s parades instead of the usual 140.

Many tourists felt little pity.

“I understand that Mickey and the rest are looking for better salaries, but I don’t sympathize,” said Marcos Caetano, a 33-year-old Brazilian tourist.

The union is demanding a minimum $1,400 monthly salary, or a 7% increase. Disneyland Paris executives say that is out of the question and that workers had an 8% rise over the last three years.

Euro Disney is 39% owned by Burbank-based Walt Disney Co.