Section Agence France-Presse du Syndicat national des journalistes

SNJ-AFP

Agence France-Presse Branch of the French National Journalists' Union (SNJ)

In-House Agreements

Career Plan Agreement (2006)

This new agreement was negotiatied and signed in 2006 by the CFDT, SNJ and SNJ-CGT unions. It will take effect from May 1, 2006.

PROTOCOL AGREEMENT ON REVISION OF JOURNALISTS’ PROMOTION SCHEDULES

[Translation from the original French by SNJ. Please remind that only the french version is legally binding. Elements in [square brackets] have been added for explanatory purposes.]

Foreword:

Considering the evolution of the population pyramid’s and of the seniorities inside the AFP journalists categories, the parties hereto want to modify the wage scale.

Subsequently, after talks and negotiations, the parties hereto have agreed upon the following :

Article 1 :

The RED 3 coefficient, today at 184, will be raised to 187 points from May 1, 2006, and to 190 points from May 1, 2007.

These upgrades will also be applied to the individual productivity bonuses.

Article 2 :

Journalists who spent at least 6 years at the RED 4 category, and who held at least two positions outside the Paris region and one desk position (abroad or outside Paris region) during at least one year, will have a guaranteed acess to the RED 5 category.

However, for all journalists hired by AFP before January 1, 1996, and who spent at least six years at the RED 4 category as of June 1, 2006, the promotion to the RED 5 category will need to fit the following condition: having held at least two production positions including one outside Paris region.

For spanish-speaking journalists, only one position held outside Paris region or several long-period missions or five applications for positions outside Paris region will be required.

The RED 5 will also be awarded to journalists who have applied for at least ten positions outside Paris or abroad, and who fitted the requirements listed in the position vacancy notice.

The ten applications will be taken into account during the whole career as AFP journalist.

For the following departments:

journalists at the horseracing department
graphists
journalists at the photographic documentation department
former quotes department [ie Service des cours et matières premières],

The direction undertakes to promote each year to the RED 5 category, 20% of the members of this population who did spend at least six years at the RED 4 category.

Article 3 :

A new category, called "RED 5 +" is to be created between RED 5 and RED 6, with a corresponding coefficient of 240.

The management will choose the journalists who will rise to the RED 5+ category.

Each year, the management undertakes to promote to the RED 5+ category, 10% of the 5th category staffers who spent at least 3 years at the RED 5 category.

Journalists whose wage already corresponds to a coefficient of 240 will rise to the RED 5+ from the day the agreement comes into effect.

Article 4 :

One year before their retirement, all journalists at the RED 4 category will be promoted to the RED 5.

Article 5 :

Following this agreement, the parties hereto agree to meet at the beginning of the second semester of 2006 to concert on the following issues:

hiring
careers
professionnal training
jobs
employment of seniors

Article 6 :

Subsequently, movement of journalists towards higher categories until the RED 5 category is to take place as follows:

Hiring at the category of Writer/Editor [Rédacteur] (coeff. 149),

Rising to 1st category Writer/Editor (coeff. 165) after one year as a Writer/Editor,

Rising to 2nd category Writer/Editor (coeff. 175) after two years as a 1st category Writer/Editor,

Rising to 3rd category Writer/Editor (coeff. 187, then 190 from May 1, 2007) after three years as a 2nd category Writer/Editor,

Rising to 4th category Writer/Editor (coeff. 213) after six years as a 3rd category Writer/Editor,

Rising to 5th category Writer/Editor (coeff. 225) after six years as a 4th category Writer/Editor, for journalists meeting the criterias stated in Article 2 of the present agreement.

Article 7 :

This agreement will come into effect May 1, 2006, and according to the law, it shall be filed for record at the Conseil des Prud’hommes [workers/empoyers conciliation board] and the DDTE [Direction départementale du travail et de l’emploi, Paris Département Office for Work and Employment].

For Agence France-Presse, Pierre Louette Chairman and chief executive officer

The CFDT union, represented by Jean-François Bonnet

The SNJ union, represented by Dimitri de Kochko

The SNJ-CGT union, represented by Jean-Marc Vantillard