Euronews workers will go on strike on Thursday to protest against “cost-cutting measures”, “deteriorating working conditions”, the “threat to jobs” and a possible dismantling of the Lyon newsroom.
In a statement released this Tuesday, the inter-union representing the Euronews workers said that around 170 employees of the channel “gathered in a general assembly on January 26, voted in favor of a first day of strike on February 2 to protest against the first cost -cutting measures, the consequent deterioration of working conditions, the threat to the jobs” of “600 employees (permanent, temporary, independent and occasional)” and a “possible dismantling” of the multilingual newsroom in Lyon , France.
“This year, Euronews celebrates its 30th anniversary,” reads the same note. “Unfortunately, at the Euronews SA headquarters in Lyon, the atmosphere is not one of party and champagne. We still have to fight to preserve our “European Information Tower of Babel” and our jobs,” the unions said.
According to the statement, when Alpac, the channel’s new shareholder, joined the group, “it promised to invest” in the company “to make it profitable.” However, “seven months after the acquisition, Management has not yet communicated its strategic guidelines. Although these are expected to be presented the week of February 27, the decisions and actions have already been announced, generating many concerns and questions.
“The shareholder announced the sale of our building and the partial acquisition of our brand by the Luxembourg-based holding company. Already a series of cost reductions are underway that are worsening our working conditions and further aggravate the problem of lack of personnel”, warned the inter-union.
In the same information, he revealed that “in a meeting requested by the three union delegates, Pedro David Vargas, from the Alpac investment fund,” said that “the headquarters will remain in Lyon, but we do not know who will be there.” and that “European languages will be worked on from the newsrooms of the European capitals”.
Thus, “the workers’ representatives requested the holding of an extraordinary CSE (Meeting of the Workers’ Commission) to obtain answers to the many questions about the future of the company and its workers, particularly with regard to a possible relocation. During this meeting, the Board did not give any indication of its strategic plan; however, he did not deny information about a possible relocation or a possible social plan.
The inter-union recalled that Euronews began broadcasting in Lyon “because it was the city that offered the best conditions to host the channel, which was later launched in five languages.”
Twelve years ago, in addition to “its multilingual newsroom in Lyon, Euronews created a multilingual newsroom in Brussels to produce live programs with various political and economic personalities, especially from Europe; In 2018, correspondent positions were created in some of the main European capitals: Paris, Berlin, Rome and London”, he says.
The union structure fears a layoff plan, assuring that it could mean the end of the chain’s “famous ‘European DNA’”.
Workers will gather in front of the Euronews headquarters in Lyon on Thursday.
Source: Observadora
