Austerity, Competitiveness: No to Biased Reporting, Yes to Mobilisation!

The populations of Greece, Spain and Portugal are mobilising yet again to express their anger at the austerity being inflicted on them by the banks and their political representatives.

On this occasion, SUD-AFP would like not only to support calls for protests in France, but also to point out that AFP’s public interest mission requires it to provide independent, complete and reliable news.
It is important to be careful when we quote political leaders and experts on these issues: their statements reflect one point of view among many, and should not be presented as if they were gospel truth!

• As journalists, technicians and clerical staff for AFP, we should work to guarantee diversity and pluralism in the news our company produces, and avoid becoming mouthpieces for special interests. Points of view other than those of the establishment should not be reduced to the status of sound-bites or tweets.
• As wage-earners, we should mobilise, because the austerity policies now being promoted in Europe place the burden of the economic crisis on our shoulders, on those of the young and of pensioners. Other solutions are possible.

EUROPE-WIDE DAY OF ACTION

On Wednesday November 14, most of the European trade unions, echoed by the CFDT, CGT, FSU, SUD-Solidaires and Unsa union groupings in France, are calling for a major day of action.
The European Trade-Union Confederation, for example, notes that: "Austerity is a total dead end, and must be abandoned. Social protection and wages can no longer be sacrificed. This is a social emergency, and it is time to listen to what the citizens and workers have to say, and to change course."

This is an important event, which marks a new stage in the building of opposition across Europe to policies which are aimed only at ensuring the profits of a small minority.
In Paris, a broad-based protest march is due to leave from the Place du 18 juin, near the Montparnasse tower, at 2:00 pm.

SUD-AFP will be there, behind the banners of the Solidaires union grouping. Look out for our red-on-white "SUD AFP" flags.

Paris, Monday November 12, 2012
SUD-AFP (Union syndicale SUD Culture & Médias Solidaires)
http://www.sud-afp.org - sudafp@orange.fr