Stagnant wages, CDDs, Expatriation... Time to party or time to protest?

CDDs left in the lurch until the end of 2026, the dismantling of the expatriation system, hiring freezes in the newsroom and support functions, staff under pressure and stagnant wages... Reasons for discontent are mounting at AFP, yet the only message management has sent to staff as work resumes is a reminder of the invitation to a party at headquarters on September 10. SUD is instead calling for a boycott of this event that is no longer appropriate in the current context. We can no longer pretend nothing has changed at the agency.

While we understand that some employees want to enjoy an evening socializing with their colleagues, is this really the time to raise a glass with management? Can we really sing karaoke or hit the dance floor with a clear conscience when the CEO launched a 2025 cost-cutting plan that will transform AFP for years to come? The situation is vastly different from the one that prevailed during the party inaugurating the renovated headquarters in 2022.

Will hors d’oeuvres make us forget that no salary increase is on the agenda, even though we have lost 13% of our purchasing power since Fabrice Fries took the helm of the agency in 2018? And what about management’s decision to cut back on CDD contracts to fund investments in AI?

How should we react when we see – just as SUD had warned – that management is dismantling our internal mobility system and refusing to guarantee even a minimum level of transparency regarding new internal transfer positions – whether concerning pay packages or posting who applied for jobs?

Are we satisfied with the follow-up to the Sextant audit? Management’s response to the serious psychosocial risks identified amounts to little more than increased micromanagement. Those celebrating on September 10th should bear in mind that HR has been working for some time on a new approach to career advancement based on the vague and subjective concept of "soft skills" (or “savoir-être”). So, watch out for overly exuberant behavior!

So, what exactly are we celebrating? Unions can publish as many leaflets and staff open letters as they like; unless we collectively demonstrate our dissatisfaction, management won’t take us seriously.

That is why SUD is calling on employees to boycott the September 10th party. It is a first step to show that we aren’t fooled by the bitter pill management is trying to make us swallow. Let’s celebrate solidarity among colleagues at our own get-togethers... on another day.

Paris, September 3, 2026

SUD-AFP (Solidarity-Unity-Democracy)