The strike on French radio Europe 1, which has brought together all categories of employees since Friday, was renewed for a period of 24 hours, AFP learned on Monday from concordant sources.
The strikers are particularly worried about seeing Europe 1 become an “opinion media” according to the mergers envisaged with the CNews channel, the news channel of the Canal + group, a subsidiary of Vivendi, controlled by billionaire Vincent Bolloré. They also demand the annulment of the disciplinary sanction procedure targeting a journalist from the Lagardère group radio station, behind the strike.
The continuation of the movement was decided almost unanimously, according to a union source. The strikers in particular demand that Constance Benqué, president of Lagardère News, “come and meet the editorial staff as soon as possible” to discuss with her the conscience clause allowing journalists to leave a title with compensation in the event of a change of editorial line, a striker told AFP. Out of 101 voters, “98 voted for” the renewal of the strike, “3 people voted against,” Olivier Samain, SNJ union representative, told AFP, announcing a new general assembly Tuesday morning at 10:00 am.
Monday, the movement, followed by “70% of journalists, technicians, programmers of Europe 1”, according to a striker, had a relative impact on the airwaves, most programs being broadcast normally thanks to the replacement of strikers. The morning man Matthieu Belliard, a striker who will lose the animation of his slice at the start of the school year, according to a source close to the file, was notably replaced by Pierre de Vilno. However, Philippe Vandel’s broadcast was not guaranteed.
It took the chronicle of comedian Nicolas Canteloup, shortly before 9 am, for the strike to be mentioned on the air. Despite a massive walkout, “not a word on the air to inform our listeners”, was indignant on Twitter the Society of Editors (SDR) of the radio, denouncing “the contempt displayed for listeners and committed employees” .
Several dozen people also gathered on Monday morning in front of the radio premises before the general assembly, noted an AFP journalist. We note an “increasingly obvious, increasingly strong hold of Vincent Bolloré on the re-entry grid (…) The Bolloré method is already at work at Europe 1, it promises for the future”, a deplored Olivier Samain.
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