For a Worldwide AFP, a Worldwide Workforce

AFP staff participated massively in the election of the two representatives to the AFP board, which took place between June 10 and 20, 2014.

Independently of the specific results and circumstances of the vote, the strong increase in participation compared to the previous poll in 2011 was a major surprise.

Almost 500 staff members who do not have “headquarters status” took part in the vote. This is new, and something to celebrate for SUD. For the 2014 poll marks a milestone in our long struggle to ensure that this international election, the only one that allows all categories of staff to take part, become truly worldwide and no longer be marred by voter discrimination.

Explanation: under French labour law, the elections of union shop-stewards and works committee members concern only “HQ-status” staff. Between 2008 and 2011, SUD fought to ensure that all nationalities and categories could at least take part in the election of board reps, which had previously been marred by discrimination on the grounds of nationality. For more info, see http://www.sud-afp.org/spip.php?article102

Detailed voting figures from the latest election also undermine a number of commonly-heard views, such as the idea that journalists mostly can’t be bothered to vote, or that non-journalists tend to vote en bloc for the same candidate.

Our analysis in full: (PDF, 152 Ko)

Paris, July 9, 2014
SUD-AFP (Solidaires - Unitaires - Démocratiques) Trade Union