French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy called again on Monday
for compromise over the controversial First Employment Contract
(CPE) law bill sponsored by French Prime Minister Dominique de
Villepin and the time to resume dialogue.
At a rally in the northern industrial town of Douai, seen as his
first presidential hopeful speech, Sarkozy called for suspension of
the application of the CPE, saying "Social dialogue is an essential
condition to the success of all reform".
"Before all application initiative, we'll take the time that
negotiations end up in order to avoid unprofitable oppositions ..."
he said just ahead the national strikes called by French major
trade unions, according to whom, 135 protests would be held across
the country on Tuesday.
On Saturday Sarkozy called for "compromise" at a meeting of his
party after warning Friday that the demonstration was "taking on
anew aspect" with the involvement of growing numbers of opportunist
vandals.
Across the country police have made 1,420 arrests since the
start of the trouble, and 453 people have been injured -- more than
half of them police.
Two weeks of protests against the CPE and four days of national
strikes have led to serious disturbances in 60 of the country's 84
universities and some 25 percent of the country's 4,370 high
schools.
Half of metro trains and two-third high-speed trains were to be
disrupted on Tuesday, the fifth day of national strikes against the
CPE.
The French parliament adopted the CPE two weeks ago, which,
sponsored by Villepin, encourages employers to hire young people
under 26, with an open-ended two-year contract that could be
terminated without explanation.
This week is decisive for the fate of the CPE: before the law
would be constitutionalized by the constitutional council on
Thursday and theoretically promulgated by French President Jacques
Chirac on Friday. Villepin was to meet some trade union leaders for
a new round of discussion on Wednesday.
Opponents have said the law infringes on workers' rights, making
it harder for young people to get long-term employment.
An Ipsos opinion poll published Monday by the French daily Le
Monde and France 2 television showed that 63 percent of the French
population are against the CPE.
(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2006)
