Hairdressers go on 'music strike'

HAIRDRESSERS around France will work in silence from today to protest against what they say is an "arbitrary" rise in the licence fee for playing music.

The French hairdressers' body FNCF is urging all 60,000 members to take part in the "music strike" and switch off their CD players and radios.

Salons, like all other shops and offices, are required to pay a licence fee to to the performing rights bodies Sacem and SPRE to play music in public.

FNCF says the introduction of a new method of calculating the fee would see some salons pay significantly more.

Under the new system, a business employing just two staff would pay €90 a year instead of €24. The fee increases for each extra member of staff.

For example, a salon with eight employees would receive a €263 annual bill, up from €32 at present.

The FNCF says the sudden rise in costs would leave hairdressers with no choice but to pass the increase on to customers.

The culture ministry has defended the increase, saying the rates have not been revised since 1983.

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