FRANCE-WORKERS/DEMO French workers scuffle with police at demonstration against extended work hours

Record ID: 134582

  • Title: FRANCE-WORKERS/DEMO French workers scuffle with police at demonstration against extended work hours
  • Date: 15th October 2015
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 15, 2015) (REUTERS) FRENCH WORKERS DEMONSTRATING HOLDING BANNER, READING (French): "BOOST SALARIES, NOT WORK HOURS. NO WORK ON SUNDAY, NIGHTS AND HOLIDAYS." DEMONSTRATORS SCUFFLING WITH POLICE FRENCH WORKERS DEMONSTRATING HOLDING UNION FLAGS DEMONSTRATORS SCUFFLING WITH RIOT POLICE DEMONSTRATORS GATHERING IN FRONT OF PARIS' CITY COUNCIL HOLDING BANNE
  • Embargoed: 30th October 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6B8KC35RML4V2SUKZJPDZVRD2
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: French workers demonstrated in Paris on Thursday (October 15) against proposed measures that allow shops in touristic areas of the city to stay open on nights and Sundays.
    Hundreds of French shop employees gathered in front of Paris' city council waving union flags and holding up signs pointing blame at French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron for a law dubbed the "Macron Law" that was intended to develop several sectors of the French economy.
    Many of the demonstrators scuffled with riot police at the scene, who tried to take control of the crowd with shields and tear gas.
    "There are already shops that stayed opened - illegally by the way - on Sunday and at night, Sephora for example. It has never created (new) jobs. It make work hours more flexible, it makes it so teams have to work on a shift schedule, it makes work condition worst because the teams of workers find themselves short staffed. This has never created jobs. The few jobs that have been created are part-time jobs, precarious, temporary, etcetera," said French unionist Remy Frey.
    The secretary of the business unit of French union "CGT" in Paris, Karl Ghazi, said that Sunday leisure should not be undermined.
    "Shop employees have the right, as other employees, to a common day of rest, this common day of rest is fundamental for our society as it is organised. It allows us to look after our children, to have a social life, to practice group sport, it allows plenty of things, and shop employees are already among France's most exploited and worst paid employees. We are putting them an extra pressure which is unacceptable for them," Ghazi said.
    French Prime Minister Manuel Valls had to force through parliament the package of free-market measures known as the "Macron Law" by invoking a little-used legal device, article 49.3 of the constitution.
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