Macron hell-bent on fast-tracking labour reform despite unions’ ire
Paris — The French government will press ahead with President Emmanuel Macron’s flagship labour reforms despite the first mass protests against his pro-business agenda, a leading minister said on Wednesday. "It stems from a campaign promise made by Macron," work minister Muriel Pénicaud said, referring to changes aimed at giving companies more flexibility in hiring and firing. "We are implementing the things that the French people asked us to do, so we’re not going to back down," she told BFM TV. About 200,000 people according to police — 500,000 according to organisers — answered a call from the Communist-backed CGT trade union to strike and protest against Macron’s proposals nationwide on Tuesday. The business-friendly Macron wants to make France more attractive for both local companies and foreign investors who have long complained about restrictive workplace rules and the power of trade unions. The French people asked us to transform the country, they asked us to act," Prime Min...
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