In financial difficulties, the L'Équipe group wants to reorganize and cut 56 positions, 48 journalists and 8 administrative, announced Thursday, October 29, its managing director Jean-Louis Pelé in an internal message.
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At the same time as this PSE (job protection plan), 12 positions would be created within the editorial staff to "allow the acceleration of the growth of our paying subscribers", which brings back the cuts of journalist positions to the equivalent of 36 permanent contracts, according to this document sent to employees.
An extraordinary CSE is scheduled for Tuesday to discuss this new plan with the unions.
"If we do not change anything, the forecasts for the next four years lead us to a structural and growing deficit for SAS l'Équipe: from 6 million euros of losses for 2021 to 10 in 2024", warns the general manager .
He adds that since the beginning of September, number sales have fallen by 20% compared to 2019 and that the advertising market remains "very fragile and uncertain, especially with the return of confinement".
Angry unions
SAS L'Équipe brings together the newspaper L'Équipe, L'Équipe Magazine, Vélo Magazine, France Football, Sport & Style, and employs around 350 people.
The group had already tried in June to negotiate a "collective performance agreement" which provided for cuts in wages and holidays as well as extensions of working hours.
But unions and employees had categorically refused this option.
The management wants in particular to boost paid digital subscriptions, offer a new video offer on the web, while continuing to "move upmarket" of paper.
The title “France Football” would see its frequency change from weekly to monthly and would be integrated into the team's weekend offer, said the manager.
"Failing to have been able to impose its projects through 'negotiation', the management of L'Équipe now intends to force its way to free up large savings," lamented the inter-union group on Thursday in a statement.
“The last group committee however confirmed that the Amaury group had the financial means to absorb the losses due to the crisis and to invest in a dynamic revival of its media”, she continued, stressing that in 2019 the shareholders had received "more than 11 million euros in dividends, while strengthening the group's cash flow (+ 10%), which is approaching half a billion euros".
