France: Protests continue despite government retreat on “First Job Contract”

An estimated 41,000 students marched in Paris and other French cities. The turnout was far below previous demonstrations, which had drawn hundreds of thousands of young people onto the streets. While many high school and university students are now on their Easter holidays, the primary reason for the smaller scale of yesterday’s mobilisation was the agreement reached between the unions, with the support of the Socialist and Communist parties, and the government of Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and President Jacques Chirac.

On Monday, Chirac and Villepin announced that the CPE, which allowed employers to fire young workers without cause, would be replaced. The proposed new measures include subsidies to companies that hire inexperienced workers and an increase in youth training placements in various industries. The new legislation is of a token character. Just 160,000 people are believed to be eligible for the programs, which will cost $150 million euros ($182 million) in 2006.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2006/apr2006/fran-a12.shtml