• Management and unions of the regional daily Midi Libre have agreed on a plan providing for the voluntary departure of 45 employees, including 26 journalists.
  • The newspaper announced a deficit of 1.6 million euros for 2022 and anticipates a deficit of 2.8 million euros in 2023, in the face of a continuous erosion of circulation and advertising revenues.
  • Employees have until June 2 to volunteer and accept the departure plan on terms negotiated between management and unions.

The management and unions of the regional daily Midi Libre, headquartered in Montpellier, have agreed on a plan providing for the voluntary departure of 45 employees, including 26 journalists. The regional daily belongs to the press group La Dépêche du Midi, led by former minister Jean-Michel Baylet (PRG).

"We cannot be satisfied with an agreement that endorses job cuts, even if there is relief after three months of tension," said Guy Trubuil, an elected representative of the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) and secretary of the Social and Economic Committee (CSE) of Midi Libre, a few days after this agreement reached on April 4. "We are really worried about the future: how will a newsroom work with potentially a fifth of its staff less?" he continued. The editorial staff currently has 130 journalists on permanent contracts.

A renegotiated text of 24 pages

"This is an important step, because there have been a lot of internal debates and it is finally signed," confirmed the editorial director, Olivier Biscay. "Employees have until June 2 to say that they want to leave on these conditions," he added.

In March, the SNJ, the majority in Midi Libre, refused to sign the voluntary redundancy plan carried by the management. Which, in response, had brandished the threat of a plan "based on forced departures" that would have "primarily impacted the youngest employees". The SNJ finally agreed to sign the renegotiated 24-page text. He states that he has obtained "advances" regarding the amount of severance pay. Management would also have committed to studying "alternative savings solutions" to forced departures if the volume of voluntary departure is not reached, says the union in a document sent to employees.

Decrease in total paid circulation from 96,000 to 79,000 copies in four years

The plan, initially presented on December 8 and called "Renaissance", foresees the return to a positive result in 2024. After an expected deficit of 1.6 million euros for 2022, the title anticipates a deficit of 2.8 million euros in 2023, in the face of a continuous erosion of broadcasting and advertising revenues. They are down by €8 million and €2 million respectively over four years. Total paid circulation was 79,000 copies in June, up from 96,000 in 2018, according to the Alliance for Press and Media Figures.

  • Economy
  • Press
  • Montpellier
  • Occitania
  • Languedoc-Roussillon