Dominique Candille from the French union of journalists explained: "We don't think that the situation will improve if you get rid of the grey matter."
The Le Monde newspaper was founded in 1944, and this strike is only the second it has experienced in over 60 years. However, the Le Monde has been having difficulties recently including an increase in its losses and debts – just last year Le Monde lost 20m euros (£16m; $31m).
The Le Monde newspaper-publishing group is reported to want to sell off a number of its publications, which would mean the loss of 170 more jobs.
French union leaders are calling for the job cuts, if the must take place, to be on a voluntary basis rather than to make the writers redundant.
