Job cuts planned at International Herald Tribune 10/05/2006 00:00

PARIS, May 9, 2006 (AFP) - The Paris-based International Herald Tribune (IHT), part of the New York Times company, plans to slash 36 jobs as part of a major cost-cutting drive, unions said Tuesday.

Unions have demanded the withdrawal of the plan, which would see 36 out of 250 full-time positions axed, most of them in computing and sales, along with eight short-term jobs.

According to unions, "a large part" of the company's IT operations are to be outsourced to a supplier in Paris, while the subscriptions service is to be moved to the IHT's Hong Kong offices.

The job cuts, aimed at reining in spiralling losses that hit 14 million euros (18 million euros) in 2005, are to be carried out by 2008, unions said.

Protesting unions have set up an Internet blog, http://ihtenlutte.com, to discuss the plans with IHT staff.

The paper's management was not available for comment.

Founded in Paris in 1887 by James Gordon Bennett Jr, son of the founder of the New York Herald, the International Herald Tribune targets US expatriates and the broader English-speaking public.

The New York Times became the sole shareholder in the paper in January 2003, after buying out the stake held by the Washington Post.

Copyright AFP

Subject: French news