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| World Home » Current Affairs » | Sun. Oct 12, 2008 |
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Talks on agreement doubtful, Chirac wants law to apply MIL/Agencies/AP, Mar 25, 2006. Paris - Inspite of their claimed efforts, the Union leaders could not succeed in their talks on Friday to force France's PM to withdraw a divisive new jobs law. As a result of their failure, they announced to go ahead with plans for a nationwide strike next week. "We are facing a total refusal," said Francois Chereque, Secretary General of the CFDT union, after the 75-minute meeting with Dominique de Villepin at his prime ministerial office. Chirac said the jobs contract law must be applied and rejected pressure for its withdrawal, saying: "I am not a fan of a democracy of ultimatums." Backtracking could wreck the reform agenda of Villepin, thought to be Chirac's preferred successor, and his chances of mounting a serious presidential challenge. Union demands that Villepin toss out the jobs contract have left little obvious room for negotiation. The law is aimed at reducing high youth unemployment by giving employers more flexibility and encouraging them to hire. It allows companies to fire young workers in the first two years of employment without giving a reason. Villepin has said he is ready to discuss modifying its most criticized aspects. "I am prepared to remove the confusion of the law from the mind of the delegation." There is no indication of their next talks according to the union leaders. They announced that the strike was still on for Tuesday. However, Dominique de Villepin has agreed to meet the delegation of the youth organizations on Saturday. The meeting was Villepin's first with leading unions since he introduced the "first job contract" in January. But it got off to a poor start, with union leaders riled by a declaration earlier in the day from President Jacques Chirac, who said the jobs law must be applied. Expectations for a breakthrough had been low, since a climbdown by either side could be politically costly as per AP. The face-off over the law, which makes it easier for companies to hire - and fire - young workers, has thrown Chirac's conservative government into a crisis, facing a nationwide swell of student protests with blockades at dozens of universities. It has also exposed France's deep divisions about the direction of reform, between those who argue that new approaches are needed to free up the economy and others who insist that change must not come at the expense of the country's cherished social protections. Youths with baseball bats attacked student protesters and others hurled concrete chunks at riot police, who responded with baton charges and tear gas. Nationwide, police made 630 arrests, and 90 protesters and police were injured, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday. In all, there have been 1,420 arrests since the start of the protest movement and 453 injured, he added. The strike has affected the air travels and the authorities are forced to cancel/reschedule certain flights.
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