JOURNALISTS at the French sports newspaper l’Equipe were on strike action yesterday in a bid to save some 50 jobs threatened by a restructuring that will also weaken their terms and conditions.

“We do not strike out of gaiety of the heart,” one of the strikers said as they picketed the l’Equipe offices in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt.

The newspaper has not been published since the editorial staff walked out on Saturday and the strike is now the longest in its history.

Management plans to axe 47 journalists and eight administrative staff to make savings of about €5 million (£4.3m), saying that l’Equipe is projected to make a €6m (£5.2m) loss this year due to a downturn in sales and there being fewer sporting activities due to coronavirus.

The paper wants to boost digital sales, but unions have rejected a four-year deal which bosses said would protect jobs in return for lower wages and increased working hours.

Official statistics from November showed that circulation had dropped by 12.6 per cent compared with the same period of 2019 to 192,499 paper and digital copies a day.

Journalists fear that the deal offered by management will lead to workers being forced out. Negotiations led to an improved offer on Tuesday, but the strike continues.