The strikers are demanding an increase in end-of-year bonuses to offset inflation. Management has so far proposed a bonus of 1,000 euros net for employees who earn up to 60,000 euros gross per year.
The antenna of BFM TV, the first news channel in France, was disrupted on Sunday by a strike aimed at demanding an increase in premiums and an increase in purchasing power. Usually live and on set, the morning did not take place and was replaced by reruns of the night and by newspapers all in images.
In the afternoon, live broadcasts were replaced by reruns of “Red line», the large format magazine of the chain, then by new newspapers mainly in images and with duplexes of special envoys. Only the Sunday broadcast “BFM Politicswas able to take place normally live and on set at midday, with government spokesperson Olivier Véran as guest.
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This strike took place at the call of the CGT and the SNJ (National Union of Journalists). Their call runs from Saturday to Wednesday inclusive. According to the CGT, the antenna was particularly disturbed on Sunday because the day before, it had been partially provided by “technical team managers“. About thirty people (twenty technicians and a dozen journalists) were on strike on Sunday, the CGT told AFP.
Claiming a salary increase
The strikers are demanding an increase in end-of-year bonuses to offset inflation, without waiting for the mandatory annual negotiation (NAO) next year. Management has proposed a bonus of 1,000 euros net for employees who earn up to 60,000 euros gross per year (more than 80% of employees according to it), and 400 euros gross for those who earn from 60,000 to 90,000 euros gross per year (more than 15% of employees). The strikers claim the double.
“We do not accept losing purchasing power in a group that earns money“Said the CGT to AFP. Asked by AFP, the direction of the chain did not wish to comment. BFM TV and the radio RMC belong to the Altice group of billionaire Patrick Drahi, who also owns the telecom operator SFR. According to the CGT, employees of RMC also went on strike, which was not felt on air. BFM TV is France’s leading news channel, with a 3.2% audience share in October according to Médiamétrie figures, ahead of CNews (2.2%), LCI (2%) and the public channel France info (0.8%).