Assistants and technicians left out of 2025 promotions

Press employees (EP) or technicians (OT) don’t deserve anything? That is the question SUD posed on June 11 when management met with trade unions to present the results of the annual staff review – the bonuses and promotions accorded each March for the previous year. Management of course contested that interpretation, but the fact remains: no EP or OT received a promotion as part of the 2025 campaign. At a minimum it reflects a lack of interest, or even neglect, towards two categories of staff who also contribute to the smooth running of AFP.

Management strove to explain that given the Agency’s financial situation it made the “choice” to limit the promotions campaign to the minimum it promised to do in our workplace agreement. But that isn’t quite true. It promoted more journalists and cadres than required – around 12-15% of eligible staff compared to the required 10%. SUD argued vigorously that if management chose to go beyond its obligations then it should have promoted EPs and OTs as well. Management did not have a convincing reply to this, ultimately saying it was its “choice”. For SUD this is an unacceptable choice.

Unacceptable first and foremost because it undeniably sends a message: in management’s eyes, the EPs (editorial assistants, accountants, payroll managers, etc.) and the OTs (maintenance technicians, IT technicians, photo lab, MCR, etc.) do not deserve anything for their commitment in 2025.

Double whammy

Not even the slightest promotion, while at the same time management – again to save money, decided not to pay any one-shot bonuses for 2025 to any French contract staff. Each year as part of the employee review management also pays one-off bonuses to reward certain employees for their efforts over the previous years. For the OT and EP staff, it’s a double whammy. No promotions. No bonuses.

Are these categories unloved? Undoubtedly. It’s not the first time in recent years that no employee in these categories has received a promotion. Furthermore, their bonuses have been proportionally lower than those of managers. A reality we call, without mincing words: institutional discrimination.

Furthermore, this choice was inadmissible after Sextant pointed out in its social audit that there is a risk of the “disintegration” of work collectives due to a lack of perspectives. Is there any worse message management could send about perspectives for EPs and OTs than not awarding any promotions during the annual campaign?

Social demotion risk

Management noted several EPs and OTs had received promotions when changing posts. This is part of the normal life of any company, and with greater responsibilities promotion to a higher coefficient is to be expected. These should in no way be counted among the promotions in the annual staff review which is meant to reward staff members for the implication in their job without changing that job.

Management also emphasized that it regularly promotes technical staff to managerial status. However, without clear rules, this further weakens teams and contributes to the feeling that their category, as well as their work, is not valued and has limited perspectives.

SUD called on management to reopen the 2025 promotions campaign and promote several EPs and OTs. This call fell on deaf ears.

The trade union which currently represents EPs and OTs called for introducing minimum promotion percentages for EPs and OTs. SUD supports this idea, which would resolve an injustice inscribed into our workplace agreement in 2017. It will not however resolve the fact that the 2017 workplace agreement accepted an insufficient career plan for EPs. Our recent tract (-13% purchasing power. Thanks boss!) demonstrated EPs gain little purchasing power with the guaranteed promotions and seniority bonus steps. This category needs urgent measures to avoid social demotion.

Paris, June 15, 2026
SUD-AFP (Solidarity-Unity-Democracy)

SUD-AFP is an intercategorial trade union that recognizes the essential contributions of each professional category to AFP’s public interest mission to which we are deeply committed. But this mission cannot rely upon constant sacrifices from staff. Join us to defend our rights, our working conditions, and the future of AFP.