Radio France: Unions call for unlimited strike from September 1, as the start of the school year is compromised

Inter's morning show is set to welcome its star recruit, Benjamin Duhamel, for his first time on that day. The BFMTV defector joins the morning show's main voice, Nicolas Demorand, following Léa Salamé's departure for France 2's 8 p.m. news. The notice of an indefinite strike was filed on July 11 by the CFDT, CGT, FO, SNJ, SUD, and UNSA unions.

They reject several reforms sought by the group's boss, Sibyle Veil. These include the shutdown of Mouv' radio on FM, editorial changes within Ici (formerly France Bleu, the network of local public radio stations), and the discontinuation of investigative and reporting programs. "Madam President (...), for the first time in our recent history, the radio season may not begin," the unions threatened Thursday.

Discussions with management on Friday failed to lift the notice period. "For the time being, management is refusing to make the slightest concession or to backtrack on the projects that are most harmful to the teams and the stations," the unions lamented in a statement Friday evening.

These slogans led to a first, widely followed strike from June 26 to 29. This was immediately followed by a second, but for a different reason. It was to protest against the proposed reform of public broadcasting put forward by the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati. It plans to create a holding company, France Médias, which would oversee France Télévisions, Radio France, and the INA (National Audiovisual Institute).