France

Parliament passes labour reform law

Article published on the 2008-07-24 Latest update 2008-07-24 12:57 TU

The French Senate

New legislation has been passed by the French parliament that loosens France's 35-hour working week, tightens controls on unemployment benefit and obliges schools to look after children when the teachers go on strike.

On Wednesday evening, the law received its left wing parties but described by political supporters as "giving workers a chance to earn more".

35-hour week

The 35-hour working week was introduced by a Socialist government in 1998. The national statistics institute Insee says that it created 350,000 jobs but at considerable expense in financial aid to companies.

The new law means that although the legal working week in France remains 35 hours, employers will be able to negotiate with individual employees that they work up to 48 hours which is the European Union maximum.

According to opinion polls, a majority of the French public is in favour of the 35-hour working week but President Nicolas Sarkozy has described it as a "catastrophe for the French economy".

Unemployment

Another feature of the law is that any unemployed worker who refuses "reasonable job offers" will no longer be able to receive unemployment benefit. For those who have been unemployed for more than six months, any job offer must be accepted as long as it is within a one-hour radius of the worker's home. The Socialist Party described the new measures as "humiliating for jobseekers" while the Greens said the idea was to force people to accept "any job, anywhere, at any wage".

Schools and strikes

Schools, too, will be affected by the new legislation. They will be obliged to look after schoolchildren even when teachers are on strike. This aims to allow parents to get to work when French teachers go on strike. Critics argue that it undermines with the right to strike.