Medi Libre: The administration announces a forced departure plan

Three months after announcing the opening of the 45-job voluntary departure scheme, A.J Director of the daily regional newspaper Free lunch They finally opted for the forced departure plan, according to an email sent to employees. In this email, consulted by AFP on Friday, is Jean-Benoit Paillet, managing director of Free lunchOn Thursday, he announced to employees the launch of the Occupational Protection Scheme (PSE). On the basis of forced departure“. he “It would affect, and I deplore, primarily the younger employees of the company.”He continues, pointing to “A very dangerous situation that prompts Medi Libre to move towards the worst case scenario”.

According to the newspaper’s management, this action is a consequence of the rejection of SNJ (National Union of Journalists), which is the majority union at home. Free lunch – property of La Dépêche press group – to sign the voluntary departure plan announced on December 8th. No management Free lunch Nor did the National Journalists Syndicate respond to AFP’s requests.

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According to the email sent to the newspaper’s staff, which qualifies the SNJ position as“inexplicable”However, the main sticking point was SNJ’s demand that no forced departure would occur if the 45 voluntary departure count had not been reached. A demand rejected by Jean-Benoit Baylet. Also according to this email from management, the cost of this PSE “A much higher cost to the company, it will limit the support of the departing and will retain in their positions the other employees who, they, have planned to leave the newspaper by the benefit of a large allowance”.

Department of 700 employees

The plan, presented on December 8 at CSE called Exceptional “New birth”, expect a return to a positive result in 2024. After a projected deficit of 1.6 million euros for 2022, the stock forecast a deficit of 2.8 million euros in 2023, in the face of continued erosion in revenues from broadcasting and advertising, down 8 million euros and 2 million euros on consecutively over four years. Paid circulation totaled 79,000 copies in June, up from 96,000 in 2018, according to the Press and Media Alliance.

Regional Daily Free lunch and its divisions The Independent (Pyrénées-Orientales and Aude) and Press Center – The Journal de l’Aveyron, compiled into the Journal du Midi, covers the eastern part of the Occitanie region (formerly Languedoc-Roussillon and Aveyron). This division, which employs about 700 people, also includes websites, a weekly newspaper, an advertising and communications agency, a printing plant equipped with offset presses, a digital printing press, and an event service.