- Title: French PM says wants more labour conditions set at company level
- Date: 6th June 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 6, 2017) (REUTERS) FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, EDOUARD PHILIPPE, ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH FRENCH EMPLOYMENT MINISTER, MURIEL PENICAUD MEDIA LISTENING PHILIPPE AND PENICAUD DURING NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, EDOUARD PHILIPPE, SAYING: "This programme is coherent on the essentials. Every chapter aims at giving our fellow citizens the ability to seize the possibilities to evolve within the heart of the labour market with the necessary guarantees and flexibility. This labour programme must contribute to economic growth, to the fight against unemployment, and must offer real security to everyone." NEWS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, EDOUARD PHILIPPE, SAYING: "The only social war I will carry out is the fight against mass unemployment, youth employment, which we must deliver for purchasing power in a country which, despite everything, has so many obstacles." UNIONS PROTESTING AGAINST LABOUR REFORM PROPOSALS FLAGS FOR CGT UNION PROTESTER WEARING VEST FOR CGT UNION PROTESTERS FROM FORCE OUVRIERE UNION (SOUNDBITE) (French) TREASURER FOR PARIS DEPARTMENT OF FORCE OUVRIERE, JACQUES BORENSZTEJN, SAYING: "We will judge on the results but what was announced today is a complete destruction of the labour law. We cannot accept more than what we accepted for the economy law. So today is the first day of coming together. We clearly hope we can push the government back with a wider, more united mobilisation - by that I mean more committed." PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNERS WOMAN STANDING IN PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, EDOUARD PHILIPPE, SAYING: "What's important is to be clear - the President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron), during his campaign, said that when it comes to the labour law he hopes to act by way of laws. That means we are going to discuss with the unions and employers about the content of the laws, which will be published before the end of the summer. That means as well that we discuss in detail with parliamentary members, with national representatives from the assembly, who will be chosen in the elections on June 11 and 18, the content of this proposed law, and when the moment comes, the content of the ratified bill."
- Embargoed: 20th June 2017 16:53
- Keywords: Valls unions France protests prime minister Philippe reforms labour
- Location: PARIS AND DONGES, FRANCE
- City: PARIS AND DONGES, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016K55FT3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French President Emmanuel Macron's government showed its resolve to reform France's labour laws before the end of summer on Tuesday (June 6), warning unions that it intended to act swiftly.
Macron said during the presidential campaign that he planned to fast-track the pro-business legislation through use of executive decrees in a country where the high cost of hiring and firing is seen as a deterrent to investors, and where unemployment is near double-digits.
Unions had urged the government to take more time to discuss reforms they fear would reduce cherished employment rights and make France more like Anglo-American style labor markets where workers enjoy less protection.
But speaking after meeting unions, Macron's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe stuck to a plan to pass the reforms during the summer holiday lull, a period in which unions could struggle to mobilise protesters, and said he would not seek to please unions on all of their demands.
Macron's La Republique En Marche (LREM) party is on course to win a landslide majority in this month's legislative elections, opinion polls show.
That should help the 39-year old president sweep aside resistance from left-wing lawmakers and could also limit public support for any trade union strike action aimed at derailing the measures.
Strikes and a rebellion in parliament were two factors that hamstrung the previous government's attempts to introduce similar reforms. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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