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NEWS & LETTERS, April-May 2006Our Life and Times by Kevin A. Barry and Mitch WeerthFrench youth protestHundreds of thousands of students, workers and jobless took to the streets in cities throughout France for three major protests in March to oppose the conservative government’s attempt to gut job security for young workers. The First Employment Contract (CPE) would allow employers greater “flexibility” to terminate new employees under 26 years old at short notice. Ostensibly this would encourage employers to hire more youth, helping to reduce a youth unemployment rate of 20%, which reaches 40% in the urban ghettoes. "Our revolt is...to keep what we have," said Nadjet Boubakeur, leader of the student movement UNEF. The powerful C.G.T. labor union threatened a one-day general strike if the government takes no immediate action to cancel the law. Over 68% of French citizens oppose the legislation. |
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