Two days after his dismissal by decision of the managers of Whynotmedias, the media sector of the CMA CGM, the editorial director of Provence, Aurélien Viers will return to his duties on Monday March 25 in the morning. It was the management of the Marseille daily, owned by billionaire Rodolphe Saadé, who announced it in a press release on Sunday evening, mentioning having found ” a deal “ with her employee, whom she had unilaterally decided to sanction. A reintegration which does not put an end to the crisis the newspaper is going through. The unions, who were not kept informed of the meetings between Mr. Viers and the publication director, Gabriel d’Harcourt, during the weekend, are maintaining their indefinite strike movement and the mobilization planned for Monday in front of the headquarters of the newspaper in Marseille.
“The withdrawal of Aurélien Viers’ layoff was decided after a working meeting with Gabriel d’Harcourt, general manager », specifies the press release distributed by Provence Sunday March 24, without however detailing the terms of the agreement. “The parties agree on the importance of the principle of independence of the newspaper from any power, whether political or economic, but also on the requirement of a non-partisan editorial line”, the text continues.
“The charter is not signed”
Mr. Viers had been withdrawn and summoned to an interview prior to dismissal after the publication, Thursday March 21, of a ” a “ taking up a quote from a resident of the city of Castellane – “He’s gone and we’re still here” – two days after President Macron’s visit. A treatment denounced as “shocking” by local Macronist elected officials. The sanction, experienced by the editorial staff as interference by the owner, Rodolphe Saadé, in the editorial line of the newspaper, led to a strike movement within the company and numerous reactions of political and media support.
In its press release, the management of Provence also indicates that the charter of editorial independence and ethics negotiated for several months with the unions will be promulgated “by April 15”. An announcement that surprised the unions. “The charter is not signed and, with what has just happened, we still intend to amend it widely,” specifies a representative of the SNJ.