Marks staff in Paris protest march

PARIS, France -- French staff of Marks & Spencer marched on strike through central Paris demanding bonus payments on Tuesday.

The workers, due to lose their jobs, left food to rot on the shelves of the company's flagship store for a fifth day.

Staff at the British retailer's main store in Paris stopped work after talks between management and unions about the planned closure of all French M&S stores by the end of the year broke down last Thursday.

Conditions inside the Boulevard Haussmann store, which should have been packed with bargain hunters at the opening of the Paris summer sales, have become chaotic because of the work stoppage, several protesters said.

"It's a mess in there and it smells bad because of all the food that's rotting," said one employee. It was unclear when work would resume at the store.

Some protesters threatened to keep striking until management met their demands, while others said they would go back to work when negotiations resumed.

The marchers want M&S to give them an immediate bonus of 12,000 francs ($1,500) each in recognition of their work.

The march began in front of the Paris Stock Exchange to emphasis staff anger at what they said was an M&S policy to favour shareholders over employees.

"Our jobs, our lives are worth more than stocks," said one banner carried by several protesters.

About 200 M&S employees, some of them from as far afield as Bordeaux in southwestern France, braved the midday heat to join the march, chanting in unison a song composed for the occasion.

In an effort to brighten the mood, unions dispatched three circus artists on stilts wearing giant ostrich costumes to lead the march. Policemen on rollerblades followed the protesters.