Reuters reporters in France strike over job cuts

The walkout was sparked by six people on its photo desk being told by telephone that they were to be sacked, staff said.

They feared the wave of cuts would hit the quality of Reuters service by slashing photo staff in half.

Reuters management said that only its French service would be affected by the strike and it would maintain “a solid service in English”.

Thomson Reuters said last year it was cutting 3,200 employees - 12 per cent of its staff - over two years.

Non-English language jobs have been worst hit by the cuts. Reuters employed 80 people in Paris before the reorganisation. Twenty people were made redundant from the Paris office six months ago. ■