French unions divided

France’s two largest union confederations have responded differently to the announcement by the French president François Hollande of a “responsibility pact” to improve the performance of the French economy.

Hollande’s plan involves four key elements. These are a reduction in the charges paid by employers — he aims to cut these by €30 billion (around £25 billion) by 2017; increased transparency for business so that they can be clear on their obligations; a simplification of bureaucratic procedures; and measures taken by the employers in return.

These employer “counterparts” to the government’s proposals are to include increased employment, particularly of older workers; improvements in the quality of work; and modernising “social dialogue” — employers’ relations with the unions.

Hollande wants to begin this process urgently and he presented his plans to unions and employers on 21 January.

However, while the employers are broadly positive, union reaction has been more divided.

Hervé Garnier of the CFDT says that his union confederation is willing “to get involved in all the subjects [under discussion]”.

But the other main confederation, the CGT, has issued a statement which says that the president “is turning his back on workers” and moving into “a new round of gifts to employers”.