Showdown in France over youth labour reforms

French labour unions hope to mobilise more strikers than last week to force the withdrawal of the youth employment contract, which is part of the Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs.

Student unions have warned they will go all the way in fighting the ‘First Employment Contract’ (CPE), calling for a general ‘revolving strike’ if the protests on 4 April do not lead the government to withdraw the controversial youth employment law.

The strike found the support of the Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) John Monks. Interviewed by communist daily newspaper ‘l’Humanité’, Monks said a clear message was needed “against the precariousness of jobs in Europe and for the respect of social dialogue and collective negotiation”. “Reforms that promote greater mobility at work must be coupled with better security for workers,” says the ETUC.

In a Tripartite Social Summit on 23 March, European trade unions and employers organisations agreed on a new EU social dialogue work programme for 2006-2008 that should contribute to “the modernisation of the EU social model”. 

Key challenges identified in the programme include “a joint analysis of the key challenges facing Europe’s labour markets” including on youth integration, labour market policies and finding a right balance between flexibility and security in job policies.

President Chirac on Friday (31 March) passed the hot potato to rival Nicolas Sarkozy to introduce amendments to the CPE in Parliament with the support of his ruling UMP majority.