FRANCE: French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin meets youth representatives over the government's controversial new job law

Record ID: 572350

  • Title: FRANCE: French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin meets youth representatives over the government's controversial new job law
  • Date: 21st March 2006
  • Summary: (W4) PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 20, 2006) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE GATE TO MATIGNON PALACE "HOTEL DE MATIGNON" (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 5th April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Employment,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5QA1JSMELLKB2LML9W0O704C1
  • Story Text: French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin met representatives from the students and young unemployed or interim workers in Paris' Matignon palace on Monday (March 20), after weeks of unrest in the country's universities over a new government job law.
    Sixteen youths from different social and educational backgrounds gathered in a round-table discussion with de Villepin, who said he was not going to withdraw the government controversial youth employment law, as he was asked by student and worker leaders.
    De Villepin told his young counterparts that the 2-year contract for under-26 year old could still be improved.
    "I think that some things about this CPE needs to be changed, but it's not necessarily bad itself," said second-year marketing student Cindy Gautier after the meeting.
    Youth representatives said that de Villepin was willing to discuss the lay-off regulation included in the new contract, which allows employers to fire their workers with short notice and with no obligation to provide any reasons.
    "He left some space (for discussion) over the layoff motivation. One has the right to know the reason why one is fired," said temporary contract holder Abdessamad Racko.
    De Villepin met French youth representative just a few hours before the deadline given to him by student leaders to withdraw the new law before a new major protest was organized in French cities.
    French universities have been occupied for weeks and student mobilization have sometimes degenerated into violence in Paris and other urban centres in the past few days.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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