CEO’s Bid to Cut Staff Benefits: Statement from Joint French Trade Unions

UNIONS CALL PARIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THURSDAY; WILL INFORM STAFF ON MANAGEMENT-CONVENED TALKS

Statement by the joint trade unions representing all categories of HQ-status staff

On November 13, during the first of its proposed meetings with the unions on a "New Social Contract" for AFP staff, the CEO was very evasive as to his true intentions. Key phrase: "Don’t misquote me!"

Nevertheless, he had already drawn up a much more specific statement of his intentions, aimed directly at staff and published the evening after the talks.

This time his language was much clearer; he spoke of looking for "possible savings" : "cutting the number of rest days", "allowing wages to progress while avoiding such increases being mainly based on seniority", "building an expatriation policy with better and more logical cost controls than the one we currently have".

It has therefore become clear that the CEO is seeking not only to "simplify" AFP’s industrial relations landscape via a major in-house union-management agreement encompassing all the various accords currently in force, but also to chip away at established staff rights, such as holidays, reduced-working time (RTT) days off and arrangements for international mobility.

The joint HQ-status unions accordingly call on Paris-based staff of all categories to attend an

OPEN INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION MEETING ON THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21 AT 2:30 PM (1330 GMT) ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE RUE VIVIENNE PREMISES

Paris, 18/11/2013 - Joint trade unions representing all categories of HQ-status staff

See also:

• Earlier joint union statement
• SUD-AFP leaflet