Tamedia cuts up to 28 jobs in Western Switzerland
The media group Tamedia is cutting up to 28 jobs in western Switzerland. The goal of the reorganization is to save 3.5 million francs in French-speaking Switzerland.
Tamedia is cutting up to 28 of 250 jobs in western Switzerland. The Zurich media group justifies the restructuring with the weak sales development. Tamedia is also planning job cuts in German-speaking Switzerland - but on a smaller scale. Employees are to be informed of the planned measures on Thursday.
The goal of the reorganization is to save 3.5 million Swiss francs in French-speaking Switzerland, Tamedia's head of Western Switzerland, Christine Gabella, and Tamedia CEO Andreas Schaffner told the media on Wednesday. The measures had become necessary after Tamedia had suffered continuous revenue losses in recent years, especially in French-speaking Switzerland.
Employees from all titles and functions are affected by the restructuring. In French-speaking Switzerland, Tamedia is discontinuing in particular the newspapers 24 heures, Tribune de Genève, Le Matin Dimanche and the business magazine Bilan and operates the corresponding online portals.
Poor advertising market
The business model has come under pressure due to digital developments, Gabella explained. In French-speaking Switzerland, the media industry has traditionally been more financially dependent on advertisements than in the German-speaking part of the country, said Schaffner. In addition, the advertising market in French-speaking Switzerland has deteriorated faster.
That is why the decline in sales in western Switzerland is having a greater impact, he said. "If we don't react, our results will deteriorate even further," Schaffner explained.
The cost-cutting measures go hand in hand with a reorganization of the editorial offices. Among other things, Tamedia Romandie wants to abolish the joint editorial office T, simplify processes, strengthen brands and increase proximity to readers, as Gabella explained. "We have to function with fewer people," she continued.
28 digits is the maximum
The workforce was informed about the restructuring on Wednesday morning, Gabella said. A consultation process has been initiated. This could lead to fewer than 28 jobs being cut in the end. 28 jobs is the worst-case scenario.
It was unclear on Wednesday how many employees will ultimately lose their jobs. The publishing house will try to cushion the effects with natural fluctuation, early retirements and staff reductions, it said.
There will also be job cuts in German-speaking Switzerland. The extent of the cuts was not known. However, it will be smaller in French-speaking Switzerland, said Schaffner. Employees and the media in German-speaking Switzerland are to be informed about the cuts on Thursday.
Outraged employees
The editorial offices of 24 heures, Tribune de Genève, Le Matin dimanche, Tamedia (Swiss, World, Business sections), the photography, publishing and layout staff, the digital team, as well as the professional association Imprint and the media union Syndicom strongly condemned the planned job cuts.
CHF 3.5 million would be saved on the backs of the staff alone. Editorial staff are fed up with a management that no longer invests in its media and lets them die slowly at the expense of subscribers and society, according to a media release from Imprint. Since the takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia in 2011, job cuts have followed one after the other.
It is urgent that the management of TX Group comes to its senses and stops its destruction of the newspapers in Western Switzerland, Syndicom demanded. The largest Swiss publishing house officially renounces to give its editorial offices the possibility to do their work, which is important for democracy, properly.
It is also abdicating its social responsibility by allowing jobs to disappear in an already struggling sector. This is largely due to decisions that have been based exclusively on a profit logic for years, the union criticized.
The Zurich-based media group Tamedia has repeatedly cut jobs in French-speaking Switzerland in recent years. The most drastic measure was most recently the discontinuation of the print edition of the traditional newspaper "Le Matin" in 2018, when over 40 employees were laid off. (sda)
