France
Background information on industrial relations in France
- 20 Dec 2002
France: Debate over pension reform resumes<#PDF_LINK>Following a decision in October to phase out the early retirement scheme for civil servants, in late 2002 the French government set out its schedule for pension reform and issued various statements on the issue. It has developed two priority areas -equal treatment for allandfreedom of choice. Trade unions are challenging the process and fear that the government has already decided how pensions are to be reformed.
- 04 Dec 2002
France: Return to calm at CFTC congress<#PDF_LINK>After clashes at its 1999 congress, the French Christian Workers' Confederation (CFTC) held its 48th national congress in November 2002 against a more peaceful backdrop. A new executive team headed by Jacques Voisin and Jacky Dintinger was elected, which is promoting the expansion of CFTC's presence, especially in small and medium-sized companies.
- 04 Dec 2002
France: Agreement reached following action in road haulage<#PDF_LINK>Difficult negotiations between trade unions and employers' associations in the French road haulage industry began in October 2002 over a new sectoral collective agreement on pay and conditions. The prospect of a blockade of the entire road network similar to that of 1996, if the talks failed, hung over the negotiations. Ultimately, an agreement was reached on 24 November, providing for a pay increase 14% over three years, though it was not signed by the CFDT and CGT unions, which called for roadblocks to be set up. These were lifted on 25 November, but CFDT and CGT plan to continue their action in other forms.
- 03 Dec 2002
France: Job losses planned at Air Lib<#PDF_LINK>Air Lib, France's second-largest airline, is in financial difficulties in late 2002 and management has announced a rescue plan involving 500 job losses, to trade union opposition. Despite a decision by the Ministry of Transport to extend the company's operating licence and to defer debt repayment to January 2003, concerns remain over the company's future as a viable business.
- 02 Dec 2002
France: CES adopts opinion on future of EU social policy<#PDF_LINK>In October 2002, France's Economic and Social Council (CES) adopted an opinion entitledWhat social competences will there be and who will be the actors in an enlarged EU. This report, endorsed by all the groups and organisations represented in the CES, makes very detailed proposals for bolstering theEuropean social modeland enshrining the position and role of the European-level social partners, at a time when the European Convention is drafting a new EU treaty or constitution.
- 21 Nov 2002
France: Government plans civil service job cuts<#PDF_LINK>In October 2002, it was confirmed that the French government will cut over 1,700 posts in the civil service in 2003, mainly in education, finance and public works. The staffing cuts are linked to decentralisation and reform of the state on the one hand and, on the other, to the opportunity resulting from the large numbers of French civil servants currently taking retirement. The move has led to various strikes, notably in the national education sector.
- 06 Nov 2002
France: Study examines integration of young people of foreign origin<#PDF_LINK>A report from France's Economic and Social Council on the social integration of young people of foreign extraction, adopted in September 2002, highlights the interdependent and cumulative nature of the discrimination affecting these members of society. Problems include disparities in achievement in the school system, unequal access to employment and concentration in deprived areas.
- 06 Nov 2002
France: 'Redundancy supremo' appointed<#PDF_LINK>In October 2002, against a background of increasing job losses, the French government appointed Claude Viet to the new position ofredundancy supremo. His role is to set up an interministerial body to coordinate government action addressing the impact of company restructuring and its effect on employees.
- 06 Nov 2002
France: CGPME elects new president<#PDF_LINK>In the wake of the resignation of its president, Jacques Freidel in June 2002, France's CGPME small and medium-sized employers' organisation elected Jean-François Roubaud as its new president at its general assembly on 16 October 2002.
- 24 Oct 2002
France: Employees respond to privatisation moves at EDF and GDF<#PDF_LINK>In summer 2002, the French government announced that the state-owned electricity and gas utilities, EDF and GDF, are to have their status changed, in advance of opening up their capital to private investors. In October, EDF and GDF employees turned out in force at a rally called by trade unions to defend the workers' current status and pension scheme. The terms for the privatisation of EDF and GDF and the approach to the thorny issue of the industry’s specific pension scheme are to be set out by the government in early 2003.
- 24 Oct 2002
France: Government issues assessment of 35-hour week legislation<#PDF_LINK>In September 2002, the French government issued an evaluation report on the implementation of the 35-hour week, which is to be submitted to parliament. The report examines the principal effects of the negotiated reduction of working time, which began in 1996. Since then, the creation of an estimated 300,000 jobs has been attributable to the reduction of working time. The switch to the 35-hour week has involved a large rise in the amount of company and sectoral collective bargaining and has generated an increase in the flexibility of working schedules. Those employees who have experienced working time cuts have responded positively overall, although opinions differ widely according to employees' levels of skills The report was published just as the government proposed new measures to introduce flexibility into the 35-hour week.
- 09 Oct 2002
France: Dispute over entertainment industry unemployment insurance scheme<#PDF_LINK>In June 2002, the MEDEF employers' confederation and three trade union confederations (CFDT, CFTC and CFE-CGC) signed an agreement which doubled employers' and employees' contributions to the special unemployment benefit scheme for sporadically employed entertainment industry workers. The aim is to address the scheme's chronic deficit. The CGT and CGT-FO union confederations refused to sign, and the reform has brought protests from entertainment workers and the industry's employers' association.
- 09 Oct 2002
France: New 'youth employment contract' scheme launched<#PDF_LINK>In August 2002, the French parliament passed legislation setting up a new employment creation scheme for young people with a low level of education. At the same time, the new conservative government announced the scrapping of the youth employment scheme implemented by the previous government. Trade unions have severely criticised the scale of the social security exemptions for employers under the new scheme, and the lack of training provision for the young people concerned.
- 08 Oct 2002
France: More job losses announced at Alcatel<#PDF_LINK>Over June-September 2002, the French components manufacturer, Alcatel, announced 19,000 job losses, on top of major workforce reductions which have occurred since 2000 as the group has concentrated its activities on telecommunications components and divested factories. The latest redundancy plans reflect the world recession in the telecoms sector.
- 08 Oct 2002
France: Government family policy plans become clearer<#PDF_LINK>In autumn 2002, the French government announced a number of measures in the area of family policy, including a new child benefit scheme, tax benefits for employing domestic help, and the withdrawal of family benefits from the families ofdelinquentchildren. Trade unions have given a mixed response to the initiatives.
- 26 Sep 2002
France: Bill issued on wages, working time and job creation<#PDF_LINK>After meeting with social partner representatives over the summer, François Fillon, France's Minister for Social Affairs, Labour and Solidarity, presented a bill to the cabinet on 18 September 2002. The bill coverswages, working time and job creationand is to be debated in parliament from October onwards. The proposed new law would lay down a structure for the harmonisation of the various levels of the SMIC minimum wage by July 2005, introduce flexibility into the 35-hour week by increasing the annual overtime quota, and overhaul the system of reductions in employers’ social security contributions.
- 25 Sep 2002
France: Gender inequality in both pay and pensions<#PDF_LINK>Two statistical studies published in France in summer 2002 indicate that gender inequality is enduring and resistant to change. Gender pay inequality is still a reality and has even been exacerbated over the last 20 years (principally due to the growth in part-time work). Similarly, in terms of retirement pensions, parity has still not been achieved, with women’s pensions still clearly trailing men’s.
- 11 Sep 2002
France: New Europeansocial ratingagency created<#PDF_LINK>The creation of a new Europeansocial ratingagency was announced in July 2002. The agency, named Vigeo, will assess the social and environmental performance of major European companies. It is chaired by the former French trade union leader, Nicole Notat, and initially funded largely by French companies, plus one French trade union, though other investors and unions are being invited to participate. Vigeo - which has taken over the assets and expertise of ARESE, a body specialising in this field - will have a board of directors on which private companies, investors and unions are equally represented.
- 11 Sep 2002
France: Council of State rules on gender equality in civil service pensions<#PDF_LINK>On 29 July 2002, France's Council of State (its highest administrative jurisdiction) issued a ruling extending to male civil servants pension benefits previously available only to their female colleagues. The decision was based on an earlier judgment by the European Court of Justice.
- 22 Aug 2002
France: SMIC debate gathers momentum<#PDF_LINK>Since the implementation of the legislation introducing the 35-hour working week, France's SMIC national minimum wage has had a number of different rates. The debate over how a single SMIC rate is again to be achieved continued throughout summer 2002, with the Economic and Social Council issuing its opinion on the matter in July. The Minister of Social Affairs, Labour and Solidarity, François Fillon, then outlined his proposals for resolving the SMIC issue, as well as for lowering employers' social security contributions, which will be officially presented in the autumn.
- 22 Aug 2002
France: New government sets out social and employment priorities<#PDF_LINK>In July 2002, France's new Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, presented his government's programme to the National Assembly. In addition to a firm statement on the importance of social dialogue and the social partners, the Prime Minister announced action in important social and employment areas, including pensions, social security, youth employment, the fight against exclusion and discrimination, and the reform of the state. While employers' associations were on the whole satisfied, trade union reaction was more circumspect or even hostile.
- 07 Aug 2002
France: Government unveils new youth employment scheme<#PDF_LINK>In July 2002, France's new conservative government unveiled a new scheme to promote employment among unskilled young people, who have been particularly hard hit by unemployment. The new scheme is based on substantial financial incentives for employers to recruit young people under a new type of contract. Trade unions have criticised both the lack of consultation in drawing up the scheme and the absence of any training component .
- 29 Jul 2002
France: Collective bargaining in 2001 examined<#PDF_LINK>The Ministry of Labour's report on collective bargaining in France in 2001, published in June 2002, finds that there was stability in the number of sector and company-level agreements signed. Working time remained the central issue in bargaining, but pay was an increasingly important theme in 2001.
- 24 Jul 2002
France: Varying minimum wage rates to be harmonised<#PDF_LINK>From 1 July 2002, the French government increased the SMIC national minimum wage by 2.4% . This was the statutory indexation-based increase, with the government having decided not to grant an extra discretionary rise. The 2.4% increase applies only to employees who are still on a 39-hour week, with those on a 35-hour week receiving only a 1.8% rise. The government is now seeking to harmonise the multiple SMIC rates which have existed since the adoption of the legislation introducing the 35-hour week, with the social partners divided over whether the harmonisation should be upwards or downwards.
- 10 Jul 2002
France: Jacques Freidel resigns CGPME presidency<#PDF_LINK>In June 2002, Jacques Freidel, the president of France's CGPME small and medium-sized employers' organisation, resigned after an internal dispute lasting several months. The organisation's deputy president will see it through the interim period until a new president is elected. The context of the resignation is continuing changes in the pattern of employers' representation.
- 10 Jul 2002
France: Unemployment insurance cutbacks agreed<#PDF_LINK>In June 2002, French employers' organisations and some trade unions agreed economy measures aimed at balancing the books of the UNEDIC unemployment insurance scheme, which they manage jointly. The agreed measures include increases in contributions and cuts in benefit, aimed at dealing with a mounting deficit in UNEDIC. The CGT and CGT-FO union confederations refused to sign the agreement.
- 10 Jul 2002
France: Month-long strike at Lustucru<#PDF_LINK>Following the recent acquisition of Lustucru pasta, flour and rice plants in France from the Skalli group by Paribas Affaires Industrielles, the major shareholder in the Panzani pasta company, some of the Lustucru operations must be sold off to a third party to avoid a possible monopoly situation for Panzani. The workforce at the Lustucru plants in Marseilles and Arles, fearing their jobs might be in jeopardy, went on strike between 13 May and 13 June 2002, at the instigation of the CGT trade union. The strikers returned to work following the negotiation of a financial package with management.
- 10 Jul 2002
France: Anti-redundancy mobilisation in Soissons<#PDF_LINK>In mid-2002, the town of Soissons has seen considerable mobilisation of the area's employees and inhabitants after the announcement of 650 redundancies, following many job losses over the past few years. The authorities and local politicians have floated a plan for economic restructuring and redeploying employees.
- 02 Jul 2002
France: General practitioners obtain fee increases<#PDF_LINK>Following a dispute which began in late 2001, on 5 June 2002, French sickness insurance funds and general practitioners' trade unions signed an agreement on consultation fees, increasing the basic fee from EUR 18.5 to EUR 20. The government had been pressing for such a deal. During the dispute, some doctors had engaged in forms of industrial action which directly challenged the very principle of the sickness insurance fund system. Some parties in the dispute believe that the June agreement opens the way for an overhaul of the relationship between the sickness insurance funds and healthcare professionals, while others view it as anarmistice, which fails to address any of the substantive issues.
- 01 Jul 2002
France: Disputes mount over precarious employment and low wages in high-street retail and services<#PDF_LINK>From autumn 2001 to early summer 2002, several French high-street retailers, fast-food restaurants and other service sector companies have been hit by strike action, notably in Paris. The employees, often young people, have been protesting against the precarious status of their employment and their low wages. Although these areas of employment often have no trade union tradition, the strikes have frequently used existing union structures.
- 27 Jun 2002
France: Social partner involvement in the 2002 NAP<#PDF_LINK>This feature examines social partner involvement in France's 2002 National Action Plan (NAP) for employment. It is one of a set of similar features for all the EU Member States, written in response to a questionnaire.
- 11 Jun 2002
France: New government consults social partners<#PDF_LINK>France's new interim centre-right government, appointed in May 2002 for the period until the outcome of the general elections in June, has prioritised dialogue with the social partners and sought to deal with the pressing issue of a long-running dispute with general practitioners.
- 11 Jun 2002
France: CFDT holds 45th congress<#PDF_LINK>France's CFDT trade union confederation held its 45th national congress on 27-31 May 2002. François Chérèque was elected as general secretary, succeeding Nicole Notat who was not seeking re-election after 10 years in the post. The report on activities tabled by the outgoing general secretary was endorsed by a large majority of delegates (78%), the statutes were amended and a number of resolutions were adopted.
- 10 Jun 2002
France: Agreement on social dialogue in craft industry extended<#PDF_LINK>In late April 2002, the French Minister of Employment and Solidarity controversially opted to extend to the whole craft industry an agreement on the development of social dialogue signed in December 2001 by the Craftwork Employers' Association (UPA) and the five representative trade unions. The other main employers' associations, MEDEF and CGPME, had criticised the agreement - which introduces a new levy on employers - and opposed its extension to companies outside UPA's membership.
- 23 May 2002
France: Social partners discuss 'good practices' for employment<#PDF_LINK>French trade unions and employers' associations have been conducting a study of the employment-relatedgood practicesthat other EU Member States have implemented under the European employment strategy. Following this initial experiment, an EU-wide network of national-level social partners involved in their countries' National Action Plans for employment will be created during the course of 2002.
- 22 May 2002
France: Social partners react to presidential election result<#PDF_LINK>On 21 April 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the candidate supported by the far-right National Front, came second in the first round of France's presidential election, thus progressing to the second round of voting at the expense of the Socialist Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin. This unexpected development brought various, though overwhelmingly negative, reactions from trade unions and employers' associations. The events also significantly swelled attendance at the Labour Day demonstrations on 1 May.
- 08 May 2002
France: Customs officers take industrial action<#PDF_LINK>During March-April 2002, uniformed customs officers in France took various forms of industrial action to support demands for an increase in their danger bonus and enhanced pension conditions. It appears that proposals tabled by the Minister of the Economy and Finance on 22 April satisfied the demands of the officers' inter-union committee, and striking workers returned to work in most regions, with the notable exception of Orly airport.
- 08 May 2002
France: Public transport strike in Lyons<#PDF_LINK>Over March-April 2002, the public transport network of Lyons in France was hit by a 22-day strike called by trade unions over wage demands. The dispute was brought to an end by an agreement concluded on 11 April.
- 07 May 2002
France: Strike over job losses at Daewoo<#PDF_LINK>Employees at Daewoo's television-manufacturing plant in Lorraine, eastern France, came out on strike in April 2002 after the company announced a plan to cut 120 jobs. The workforce has called for the state to intercede with the Korean-based group, which received government grants when it set up factories in the region.
- 30 Apr 2002
France: The social partners and the presidential election<#PDF_LINK>Prior to the first round of voting in France's presidential elections on 21 April 2002, trade unions and employers' associations entered the debate. This feature reviews the social partners' various positions and demands, as well as some of the candidates' proposals in the areas of social affairs and industrial relations.
- 29 Apr 2002
France: Report on poverty and social exclusion<#PDF_LINK>Four years of economic growth and declining unemployment have only slightly reduced poverty and social exclusion in France. This is the conclusion of an official report, issued in March 2002, that also highlights the fact that these phenomena have affected specific social groups and areas of the country more than others.
- 29 Apr 2002
France: Recent developments in occupational illnesses and work-related accidents<#PDF_LINK>Debate about health and safety at work in France has been intensified over 2001-2 by the publication of several highly critical reports on the prevention of work-related accidents and occupational illnesses, various legislative developments and a landmark court ruling on employers' responsibility for asbestos protection. These developments have combined to mount a challenge to the existing system of prevention and raised the prospect of a reform of the entire raft of compensatory measures for work-related accidents and occupational illnesses.
- 12 Apr 2002
France: Dispute over working time in road haulage<#PDF_LINK>In March 2002, the French government proposed a draft decree on working time in the road haulage sector. A number of trade unions organised protest actions against the proposals to reform the regulation of lorry drivers' hours.
- 12 Apr 2002
France: IBM staff assessment system questioned<#PDF_LINK>In early 2002, trade unions and the Labour Inspectorate were alerted about alleged abuses of the staff assessment system at IBM France. The main allegation - denied by the company - is that a quota has been set for the proportion of employees who will fail assessments, and that such employees then risk dismissal.
- 10 Apr 2002
France: Pay and status dispute at FNAC<#PDF_LINK>In March 2002, an agreement between management and trade unions ended a month-long dispute about pay and staff status at the FNAC music and book store on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. The deal made it possible for wage bargaining to be resumed for FNAC's other outlets.
- 28 Mar 2002
France: General practitioners dispute continues<#PDF_LINK>Disputes over general practitioners' consultation fees continued in France in March 2002. An agreement on new rates signed in January by the CNAMTS sickness insurance funds and one of the two general practitioners' associations was rejected by other association, which has continued to organise action, such as refusing to work on-call at night or at weekends. Furthermore, a minority of doctors are systematically charging fees in excess of the going rate. Meanwhile, the authorities are continuing to establish a new system of organising the relationship between the sickness insurance funds and doctors, and disputes in other parts of the health sector are still at serious levels.
- 28 Mar 2002
France: Temporary agency work abused in automobile industry<#PDF_LINK>Over 2001 and 2002, a number of industrial tribunal rulings have highlighted theabusiveuse of temporary agency work in the French automobile industry. The use of agency workers is widespread in this sector, and tribunals have found that in some cases this has exceeded the bounds of the law.
- 26 Mar 2002
France: French trade unions and the World Social Forum<#PDF_LINK>Many trade unionists took part in the second World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre, Brazil in January-February 2002 as an alternative to the World Economic Forum. French trade unions were widely represented and we review their involvement in this initiative.
- 25 Mar 2002
France: 2001 Annual Review for France<#PDF_LINK>This record reviews 2001's main developments in industrial relations in France.
- 11 Mar 2002
France: Work resumes at BN after three-week strike<#PDF_LINK>In February 2002, workers at the Biscuiterie Nantaise (BN) biscuits factory near Nantes in France returned to work following a three-week strike, without the issues in question being resolved. The strike - which followed various management and ownership changes at the company - related mainly to pay and early retirement.
- 11 Mar 2002
France: 35-hour week law challenged by Council of Europe Committee<#PDF_LINK>Following an action brought by the CFE-CGC trade union confederation, the Council of Europe's European Committee of Social Rights reportedly found in early 2002 that the working time scheme for managerial and professional staff, as laid down in France's 2000 law on the 35-hour week, is in violation of the European Social Charter.
- 11 Mar 2002
France: Four unions set up employee savings committee<#PDF_LINK>In January 2002, four French trade union confederations - CFDT, CFE-CGC, CFTC and CGT - set up an Inter-union Employee Savings Committee to deal with new legislation on employee savings schemes, which will be subject to negotiations at company and sector level. The CGT-FO union confederation is not participating in the committee, which will seek to to protect employees' savings and promote socially responsible investments.
- 11 Mar 2002
France: Disputes at IKEA<#PDF_LINK>Staff at an IKEA store in Paris took strike action in February 2002, calling forrespect for individuals and the reopening of a dialogue between trades unions and management, along with the reinstatement of six employees who were claimed to have beensacked with no justification. However, management is not planning to go back on its decisions to dismiss the six workers.
- 26 Feb 2002
France: Industrial action hits McDonald's restaurants and franchises<#PDF_LINK>In the wake of five dismissals at a McDonald's fast-food outlet in Paris in October 2001, industrial action and stoppages have hit several of the chain's restaurants. Following court rulings in December 2001 and January 2002, three of the five dismissed workers were reinstated.
- 26 Feb 2002
France: Work-related accidents and industrial hazards in the spotlight<#PDF_LINK>A major fatal explosion at a chemicals factory in Toulouse in September 2001 has sparked off a debate in France on the risks to health generated by companies. This issue no longer seems confined to the changing nature of the risks of work-related accidents encountered by employees, but now include the threats that some companies pose to their neighbouring populations.
- 15 Feb 2002
France: CES examines issues raised by ageing workforce<#PDF_LINK>In October 2001, France's consultative Economic and Social Council (CES) adopted an opinion on measures to address the issues raised by the ageing workforce. The opinion deems increased employment among older workers as a priority in the light of demographic change, and sets out specific proposals to amend current practices.
- 05 Feb 2002
France: Decentralised pay bargaining in banking as unions call strike<#PDF_LINK>In early 2002, company-level pay bargaining has been occurring in French banks, with varying results. The trade unions in the banking sector have been attempting to mobilise employees, calling a strike and other action with mixed success from bank to bank. As well as pay, employment and working conditions, the unions are seeking improvements in the safety of bank employees.
- 05 Feb 2002
France: UNSA seeks greater representativeness<#PDF_LINK>France's National Federation of Independent Unions (UNSA), founded in 1993, held its third national conference in January 2002. Currently a grouping of mainly public sector unions, UNSA is seeking to improve its presence in the private sector when the next elections for members of industrial tribunals are held in December 2002, and consequently to assert its representative status.
- 05 Feb 2002
France: MEDEF holds extraordinary congress<#PDF_LINK>France's MEDEF employers' confederation held an extraordinary congress in January 2002, at which nine resolutions were passed, calling for major change in areas such as working time, industrial relations, training, social security and taxation. MEDEF's proposals are aimed at launching a debate with both trade unions and political parties in the run-up to major national elections in the first half of 2002.
- 31 Jan 2002
France: Constitutional Council rejects key point of 'social modernisation' law<#PDF_LINK>In December 2001, France's National Assembly passed the controversial social modernisationlaw, which includes measures making redundancies more onerous for employers. In January 2002, the Constitutional Council approved most of the new law, opening the way for its implementation soon. However, it rejected one key point: the proposed restrictive definition of the permissible grounds for redundancy.
- 30 Jan 2002
France: 20 years of workplace health and safety committees examined<#PDF_LINK>France's Economic and Social Council published a study of the role and activities of workplace health and safety committees in November 2001, some 20 years after they were established as independent employee representative bodies responsible for preventing risks at the workplace. The study notably examines the coverage of the committees and assesses their impact.
- 29 Jan 2002
France: MEDEF makes proposals for social protection reform<#PDF_LINK>In November 2001, France's MEDEF employers' confederation issued proposals for the reform of the social protection system. They clearly reflect the organisation's desire to separate employment-related social protection from those aspects of welfare that have been extended to the whole population. MEDEF also proposes anew architecturefor sickness insurance. The overall trade union reaction to MEDEF's proposals was negative.
- 29 Jan 2002
France: General practitioners take industrial action<#PDF_LINK>French general practitioners have been refusing to perform on-call duty since 15 November 2001. Their action is aimed at obtaining a major increase in the fees for consultations with patients. In negotiations between doctors' trade unions and the sickness insurance funds, which began in January 2002, the key issues are the size of any increase in fees, and whether this rise should be awarded across the board or targeted on specific care.
- 29 Jan 2002
France: Research examines employee representation<#PDF_LINK>Late 2001 saw the publication by the Ministry of Employment of two studies of employee representation in French firms, based on widely-differing statistical sources. The Ministry published both the results of the 1999 works council elections and the findings of a survey of the existence of various employee representative structures in companies and workplaces. The two studies confirm that works councils are now a significant presence in the industrial relations landscape, and indicate a recovery in support for trade unions, particularly CFDT and CGT.
- 29 Jan 2002
France: Pensions review group presents first report<#PDF_LINK>In December 2001, the government-appointed Pensions Stewardship Council (COR) issued its first report on the future of French pensions, providing a detailed analysis of current schemes and possible future reforms. Without recommending a particular option, which it sees as the responsibility of politicians, the COR identifies a number of principles on which to base future decisions.
- 18 Jan 2002
France: Agreement on social dialogue in craft industry<#PDF_LINK>In December 2001, employers' organisations and trade unions in the French craft industry concluded an agreement on developing social dialogue. It provides for extra resources for both sides to improve their representative structures. The deal has been criticised by employers' organisations outside the craft industry.
- 18 Jan 2002
France: Agreements end protests by police officers and gendarmes<#PDF_LINK>The end of 2001 was marked by major unrest within France's national police force and Gendarmerie nationale, against a backdrop of debates on the issue of public safety. However, the actions ended after agreements were negotiated with the relevant ministries, providing additional pay and resources for both groups.
- 04 Jan 2002
France: New anti-discrimination law adopted<#PDF_LINK>November 2001 saw the adoption in France of a new law to prevent discrimination at the workplace. The legislation adds new prohibited grounds of discrimination (including age and sexual orientation), adjusts the burden of proof in discrimination cases and makes it easier to bring court cases.
- 04 Jan 2002
France: 2002 Social Security Funding Law adopted<#PDF_LINK>France's Social Security Funding Law for 2002 was adopted in December 2001. The law contains a number of significant provisions, such as a general rise in pensions and increased paternity leave. However, attempts to control healthcare expenditure are flagging, and the new legislation also fails to address important issues such as the future of the various pension schemes and the joint management of social security funds. These issues have been shelved pending the outcome of the presidential election in 2002.