Breaking news: Prostest work. Who would have thunk it!!!

[MSgt213]

Not that we Americans would get out of the line at the Starbucks to attend one though.


French Premier Considers Easing Job Law

PARIS, March 21 — Facing crippling strikes and growing civil unrest, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin of France on Tuesday discussed watering down his contentious new labor law with legislators.

But union leaders, who have refused to enter into a dialogue with the government until it has rescinded the law, showed no signs of budging on their promise to carry out nationwide protests and strikes next week. The law gives companies the right to hire employees 25 or younger for a two-year trial period, during which they can be fired without cause.

"The basic demand of the youth and of employees is that the law be withdrawn," said Gérard Aschieri, head of the Unitary Union Federation, France's largest teachers union syndicate. "He has to respond to the people in the street."

While Mr. de Villepin has repeated his refusal to withdraw the law, legislators from his governing Union for a Popular Movement party said there was a growing consensus that it must be amended to make it more palatable to opponents. The prime minister himself suggested possible changes at meetings on Tuesday with legislators from his party.

"The prime minister was very closed last week, but was more open to the idea of amending the law today," said Éric Woerth, a party legislator who attended the meeting. "Almost everyone agrees that we must do something, not because of the mobilization of the unions, but because the battle of explaining the law has been lost with the young."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/international/europe/22france.html?hp&ex=1143003600&en=75f4c9374c947cf2&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Minnesota Libra]

1. Boy did you say a mouth full on this one...............

......."Not that we Americans would get out of the line at the Starbucks to attend one though." - - says it all - - explains why we are in the shape we're in.

Yes, some do get out and demonstrate on the streets but obviously not near enough.