If you want to know how a strike goes on in France, go to the website developed by Libération journalists (in French). To my knowledge, it is without precedent in the mediasphere. Comments from readers are really balanced (pro and anti-strike, pro and anti European constitution, the most challenged newspaper's debate since the 29 May referendum)

For the last four days Libération has been absent from newsstands and access to its website has been unavailable (see former posting). Until Friday, the strike was supported by more than 90% of the employees and is related to a management plan to fire 52 jobs, around 15% of the work force.

According to management, the strike was costing 120,000 euros (around 140,000 US $) per day. And the global losses expected for 2005 are over six million euros.

It was - but unfortunately better to say "it is" - typically a French crisis for three reasons:

- the management and the shareholders asked for sacrifices before announcing any consistent plan to develop the newspaper (the document sent to trade unions could not be called a development plan).

- the basic ideas developed by the general manager Serge July - Libération becoming "bi-media", both print and online - were outdated. Clearly, the problem is not to be bi-media but multimedia. And when you look at the figures presented by the newspaper management - an investment limited to two million euros -, you understand that they are not talking seriously about online developments.

- the decision taken by the employees to close the website and to refuse to print the newspaper during four days was self destructive. If the management plan could have been discussed before the crisis set in, now layoffs may become compulsory because of the strike: Libération was selling around 134,000 copies before the strike - 40% less than ten years ago -, how many after?

The strike is now over, but the result is still a blockage for everybody: the readers, the journalists, the management and the shareholders. Typically French. For instance, strikes happened in Italy or in Norway during the last months, but it was at a global level for defending employment and salaries. In France, it is fragmented from one newspaper to another one.

Le Monde writes in its Saturday edition that "discussions between the management and the employees allow a crisis exit", but I don't share this sudden optimism. 

Source: AFP, Libération, Le Monde and the website developed by Libération journalists