Section Agence France-Presse du Syndicat national des journalistes |
SNJ-AFP |
Agence France-Presse Branch of the French National Journalists' Union (SNJ) |
News & Views
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Joint AFP Unions: Call for Work Stoppage to obtain the withdrawal of the "CPE" law
Aware of the high stakes involved in the national day of action against the French government’s First Employment Contract (CPE), the CGT, SNJ, CFDT and Force Ouvrière trade union branches at AFP consider that all staff categories at the agency, and notably those serving French clients, should stop work and express mass support for the nationwide strike set for Tuesday March 28. AFP staff needs not only to express support, but is also directly concerned by any moves to undermine job security. We need look no further than our own company, where the number of short-term contracts, often unjustified, has soared in all categories. The Villepin-Sarkozy government must withdraw the First Employment Contract (CPE)! Since the prime minister has so far refused to pay heed to the massive mobilisations of working people, students and schoolchildren, the AFP trade unions call for strong action to make them yield, and give up their plans to dismantle the country’s labour laws and make job insecurity the rule rather than the exception. Following on from the New Employment Contract (CNE), created for companies with less than 20 employees, following on from the relaxing of rules on redundancy measures, Villepin and his government are seeking to impose the CPE for young people aged under 26, in companies with more than 20 staff. The CPE would give employers the right to sack young people at any time and with no explanation. There is no proof that such a measure would ensure job creation; young people on CPE contracts would simply be taking the place of those on normal long-term agreements. Coming on top of the practice of giving people strings of short-term contracts, the CPE would only further undermine job security. ALL TOGETHER TO SAY NO, TO PRESS FOR STABLE JOBS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EXISTING LABOUR LAWS — FOR THE SAKE OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE! THE CPE HAS TO GO! The following are the arrangements agreed for the strike at AFP:
The unions also call on all staff, whatever their category or service, who are not directly concerned by the coverage of the anti-CPE movement to stop work on Tuesday in order to take part in the protest marches scheduled for that day. CGT - SNJ - CFDT and FO unions at AFP 23 March 2006 |