The Bookseller.com

20th November 2008

WHS seeks end to Paris strike

03.07.08 Tom Holman

A planned day-long strike at W H Smith’s Paris branch on Tuesday continued yesterday (2nd July) as staff protested over cost cutting at the shop imposed from the UK.

Bookseller Christopher Saynor said it followed months of unease over cuts in bonuses and overtime, and pay rises that were insufficient to meet increasing costs of living. “They’re trying to squeeze every last cent out of us, but they don’t seem to understand that if you keep squeezing something, it goes dry,” Saynor said.

Members of WHS’ UK management team are due to visit the Paris store today (3rd July) to seek a solution. A WHS spokesperson said the company would “hold discussions with staff with the intention of reaching a satisfactory resolution for all concerned as quickly as possible so that we can focus on serving our customers”.

Yesterday, staff on strike outside the shop said they were prepared to continue their protest for the rest of the week. Of the shop’s 43 staff, 36 joined the protest on Tuesday, though two returned to work yesterday. The ground floor of the shop has remained open, but strikers said many regular customers had not crossed the picket line in sympathy.

A joint statement from the Paris staff added: “[Chief executive] Kate Swann’s current desire to cut costs no matter what the long-term effects on the company once again shows how much WHS values its staff.”

The strikers were sanctioned by French union Syndicat du Livre and received support from UK staff union Unite. National officer Ann Field said: “We are sorry that colleagues at the bookshop in Paris are suffering the same type of treatment meted out to WHS employees in the UK.” She added: “We hope colleagues are successful in persuading the management to meet them quickly and respond with fairness and more generosity than they’ve shown staff in recent years.”

The Paris shop, opened in 1903, is WHS’ only remaining dedicated bookseller overseas, and is the city’s largest source of English-language books. 

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