French Prez Macron faces flak by passing ‘labour reforms’, thousands rally against the decision

Paris, September 24: Employment is a vital issue for every nation. It drives in trade and investments in the country. And France is severely suffering from it. Far-right leader Jean-Luc Melenchon claimed up to 1,50,000 people gathered in Paris to demonstrate against the new laws but local officials put the crowd at 30,000. The fire broke out when French President Emmanuel Macron signed the labour reforms on Friday, aiming to inject greater flexibility into the job market and kickstart hiring after decades of high unemployment.

Mélenchon and many French unions argue that the law goes too far in weakening worker protections. He accused Macron on Saturday of fuelling a "race to the bottom" by giving businesses too much latitude. "The work contract will no longer be a safeguard but a sort of paper rag," he warned. Macron says that change is needed so France can compete in the global economy. He signed the reform, contained in five executive orders, before television cameras in a US-inspired novelty for a French president. Macron said during the signing ceremony that the first labour measures will start being applied next week and the rest will be implemented by the end of the year.

 

The reforms are designed to give employees more freedom to negotiate pay and conditions directly with their workers while making it easier and less costly to shed staff. Macron is also deciding to set up a training plan for jobless people that will be set up next year.