France/RFI strike

Strike at RFI starts again

Article published on the 2009-09-03 Latest update 2009-09-03 10:44 TU

(Photo: RFI)

Radio France Internationale's strike against layoffs resumed on Tuesday after a break over the summer. A mass meeting of employees voted 94-eight, with 22 abstentions, to start industrial action again.

Strike leaders reported to Tuesday's meeting that negotiations with management the previous day had proved fruitless, accusing the bosses of refusing to drop a redundancy plan which would mean 22 per cent of the workforce leaving.

On Wednesday strike leaders wrote to Labour Minister Xavier Darcos protesting that the station is the only public-sector company with a redundancies plan.

They claim that the plan contradicts President Nicolas Sarkozy's recent declaration on television that "everything possible should be done to avoid redundancies".

The strike, which began on 22 May, involves selective action by key staff which leads to the disruption of certain broadcasts. It is the longest public broadcasting strike since the 1968 general strike.

Management claims that the plan, which involves the closure of several language services and departures in others, is necessary to "modernise" the station.