The regional daily newspaper group Ebra, owned by Crédit Mutuel, plans to reduce its printing capacity. According to a press release from the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) dated October 8, a printing press is to be shut down at the printing plant in Latest News from Alsace (DNA), located in Strasbourg, in the Bas-Rhin department, which also handles the printing of the daily newspaper Alsace and another at the printing center of the Dauphiné Libéré , in Veurey-Voroize, in the Isère department.
These measures are part of the reorganization plan announced in June by the regional media group. The plan also affects newsrooms and departments responsible for the production of the newspapers. Ebra anticipates up to 400 voluntary departures out of a workforce of approximately 3,200 employees.
In the DNA, the SNJ reports 57 job cuts, including 22 journalists, along with eight new positions. At the Dauphiné Libéré and to Vaucluse Morning , 57 positions would also be eliminated, including 28 journalist positions.
Editorial support services?which are primarily responsible for proofreading, editing, and layout?have been particularly hard hit. According to the union, one-third of these positions are set to be eliminated, while the company plans to further automate certain tasks using artificial intelligence.
"Management wants to do more with less: that's neither sustainable nor realistic." , says the SNJ, which also criticizes "a rushed rollout, without consulting the employees" . The union is calling for the automatic layout project to be scrapped and for a review of the terms of use for AI.
A strike at Ebra's nine daily newspapers
This announcement sparked a strike on Friday, October 9, at the group's nine regional daily newspapers. According to the SNJ, the participation rate reached 67% across all publications. At the Progress , 113 journalists went on strike?82% of the newsroom?according to Lyon Metropolitan Area .
Rallies took place, notably, in front of Crédit Mutuel's headquarters in Strasbourg, as well as in Besançon, in the Doubs department, and in Dijon, in the Côte-d'Or department.
When asked by AFP, Ebra's management assured that no layoffs would be imposed. It described AI tools as a way to assist editorial teams in their work, not as a means of replacing journalists.
The group is feeling the impact of declining print circulation and advertising revenue. Its single-issue sales and subscriptions have been cut in half over the past ten years. Its operating loss exceeded 10 million euros in 2025.
