Workers at Disneyland Paris protest against lack of Ђ100 bonus

Hundreds of Disneyland Paris resort workers staged a protest Thursday to denounce the "stinginess" of managers who chose not to pay many employees a Ђ100 (US$119) bonus this year. The protesters, many waving banners and chanting, said the retraction of the annual bonus was one of many complaints, including increases in maximum daily work hours and changes to compensation time.

"Management at Disneyland Resort Paris is giving huge payments to its managers and refusing to grant 100 euros to its employees," read a flier distributed by labor unions. "Such pettiness and stinginess!" Pieter Boterman, a spokesman for resort operator Euro Disney SCA, said special holiday bonuses have been paid in eight of the resort's 14 years of operation.

The optional bonuses were paid either in years of profit or years in which special events like the opening of new attractions took place, he said. Euro Disney posted a net loss of Ђ95 million ($113 million) in its 2005 fiscal year, and there were no special events this year.

"There's no reason that we should pay an exceptional bonus this year," Boterman said. About 7,000 workers among Euro Disney's staff of more than 12,000 are not receiving the bonuses this year, he said. Euro Disney is in talks with unions over the other labor issues, he said. Organizers from among the several unions behind the rally said about 500 to 600 protesters took part, while police put the figure at no more than 200, reports the AP. N.U.