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The unions of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) in France have released a statement and expressed their solidarity with their colleagues at the AFP Turkey office, who have decided to go on strike.
As the ongoing talks for a collective labor agreement, which continued between the Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS) and the employer's representatives for more than three months, ended with no agreement, the union held a press statement in front of the AFP Turkey office on September 10 and hang the decision of strike on the AFP Turkey's office door.
The employees have announced that if the employer does not bring a satisfactory offer, they will go on strike in the upcoming days.
Statement by AFP unions in France
The AFP unions in France have released a statement within this context and expressed solidarity with their colleagues in Turkey:
"The French trade unions CGT, SNJ, SUD, FO, CFE-CGC and CFDT express their support for our local-status colleagues in Turkey who last week announced their intention to go on strike after several weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with management.
"Turkey has been wracked by an economic crisis for months that has seen inflation soar. Official Turkish authorities put annual inflation at 19 percent while independent sources put it around 30 percent, in particular for basic necessities.
"Faced with the strike threat, management issued a statement noting that local Turkish staff had received wage increases each year, without mentioning how much. Furthermore, it noted that they are better paid than many of their colleagues who work for Turkish media, insinuating therefore that they shouldn't complain.
"The French trade unions at AFP cannot accept such a posture by management and declare their wholehearted support of our local contract colleagues in Turkey who work in difficult conditions and under the constant pressure of an authoritarian regime.
"We urge management to accede to the demands of our local Turkish colleagues." (SO/SD)
