460개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
The German news agency dpa reported yesterday that the French trade unions and student organisations called for next Tuesday for a new national protest day, general strike..
Well, once again, please check out..
English language coverage of the young workers’ revolt in France
Here are just some impressions from the last protests and general strike there..
And Da hamkke..다함께.. All Together, commented the devolpments there like that...
Let’s fight like France
The appropriateness of this headline is perhaps lost until you realise the similarity of the situation facing workers and students (ie soon-to-be workers) in France and Korea. In both countries governments are attempting to bring in laws that they say will boost employment and maintain the competitiveness of their country’s economy, but which at the same time throw millions of people (often young) into permanent or semi-permanent states of precarity and flexibilisation.
David Harvey talks quite a bit in A Brief History of Neoliberalism of the ‘uneven geographical development’ of neoliberalism across the world. The other side of this coin is the very real ‘evening’ process of neoliberalism, as states around the world employ the same policies and techniques against workers and often against welfare or the state sector itself (which of course they must do to conform to the requirements of competitive capital accumulation). The constant drive for more and more ‘flexible’ labour (ie the drive to exploit workers harder and extract more surplus value from them), is is certainly one of these ‘evening’ factors, found in both East Asian ‘tigers’ and ‘old’ European states alike.
If there is an evening process in the global neoliberal attack, then there must also be an evening process in the responses of social and labour movements around the world. Not only must workers and movements provide solidarity to one another across all artificial boundaries, they must learn from one another what works and implement it wherever they are.
Of course this is easier said than done and surely the conditions that have created the current struggle in France are very different to those in South Korea. So far in the struggle against the Casual Workers Bill currently being considered by the Korean National Assembly there has been much fighting talk from union leaders but seemingly less in the way of real solidarity or confidence on the ground. Maybe the French students can be an inspiration. That would be my sort of globalisation. Tous Ensemble! 다함께!
...according to the blog of
WOW... FUN, FUN, FUNNY DAYS MIGHT BE FOLLOWING...
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Achronoth reported yesterday...
Jihad: We have many more Katyushas
Following first Katyusha rocket attack from Gaza, terror group says more to come
The Islamic Jihad group said Wednesday it has "many" Russian-made Katyusha rockets with a range of up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) that it can launch at Israel from the Gaza Strip.
The group issued a statement after it fired, for the first time, such a rocket from Gaza toward Israel on Tuesday. In recent years, Palestinians have fired hundreds of homemade Qassam rockets with a range of about 10 kilometers (six miles) and small explosive warheads.
The Qassams have fallen short of the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon, the largest near Gaza. However, the Katyushas could easily reach Ashkelon, and security officials said they were worried about the escalation.
Islamic Jihad said the Grad version of the Katyusha is 2.8 meters (yards) long, weighs 66 kilograms (145 pounds) and has a caliber of 122 mm, according to Islamic Jihad. It carries a 17-kilogram (37 pounds) warhead and has a range of between 18 (11 miles) and 30 kilometers (19 miles).
'Rockets smuggled in from Egypt'
Abu Abdullah, a spokesman for the terrorist group, said the rockets were made in Russia and smuggled into Gaza from Egypt. Taking its inspiration from Hizbullah, which attacked northern Israel with Katyusha rockets to force Israel to evacuate southern Lebanon, Islamic Jihad planned to use the rockets to try to force Israel to evacuate land adjacent to Gaza, he said.
"These rockets, God willing, will be the reason for liberating the villages adjacent to the Gaza Strip," he said.
He said any Israeli attacks on Islamic Jihad would be met with a "quick response." Israel has repeatedly conducted raids in recent months against Islamic Jihad, which has been responsible for all seven suicide bombings against Israel since an informal cease-fire took hold last year.
Abdullah said Islamic Jihad was studying the rockets in their possession to try to develop similar ones of their own.
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Meanwhile..
Bush congratulates Olmert, invites him to the White House
the Israeli so called left liberal Haaretz wrotes yesterday.
And the German magazine Der Spiegel wrote about the Israeli election following article..
Israeli Elections:
Olmert Wins With Pledge to Set Israel's Final Frontier
The Nepalese eKantipur reported following yesterday...
Govt will foil parties’ protests at any cost: Home Minister; RNA says Maoists in capital
Home Minister Kamal Thapa on Tuesday claimed that the government will foil the upcoming parties’ four-day nationwide general strike scheduled to begin from April 6, “at any cost”.
The Minister also reiterated that the government would “treat the seven-party alliance like the Maoists as the pre-planned programmes are that of the rebels.”
The minister made the remarks while speaking at the Reporters’ Club in the capital today.
“The law has not liberated terrorists to carry out their activities in whatever guise they present themselves,” Minister Thapa said, adding, “The parties have dubbed their agitation beginning from April 6 as peaceful, the government will treat them like terrorists to control their activities.”
He also claimed that the government has received reliable information that “the Maoists had entered the capital with arms and weapons.”
“The government has intensified its search for them,” added Thapa
Thapa also alleged that the Maoists, in accordance with the second understanding with the parties, have put their programmes on the shoulder of the parties.
The Minister said that the government had beefed up security across the country keeping in mind the possible danger and the prevalent situation.
However, Home Minister Thapa did not mention whether the government would impose a curfew to thwart the parties’ programme.
Earlier, on Jan.20, claiming that the Maoists could infiltrate the parties’ political showdown, the government had imposed a daylong curfew in the capital.
Govt asks public not to participate in parties’ programme
Meanwhile, the government today requested the general public not to participate in any programme organized “in accordance with the understanding between the seven-party alliance and the Maoists.”
In a statement issued this evening, the Home Ministry made the appeal requesting the general public not to attend the programme as the security authorities could use force to foil such a “disruptive” programme.
The ministry appealed to all to avoid travelling to Kathmandu during “the so-called programme (of the parties).”
The ministry has also requested that industries, educational institutions, public transport, businesses be run as normal.
“Maoists’ special task force have entered Valley” The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) today claimed that a tip-off was received that the Maoists’ Special Task Force has entered the Kathmandu Valley. The RNA said it would be committed in providing security, as per the government’s directives.
“The soldiers might be mobilized, if necessary, (during the seven–party alliance’s showdown) in order to provide security against the terrorists,” said Army spokesman Nepal Bhusan Chand at the RNA headquarters, while speaking about the information received by the RNA on the entrance of the Maoists’ special task force. He, however, did not elaborate on this.
NC calls on all its cadres to come Kathmandu
Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress (NC) today directed all its district working committees to bring the party cadres to the capital to join the showdown beginning from April 6.
The party has also summoned its zonal cadres living in the capital, to its party office at Sanepa on March 30 and 31 to discuss the issue.
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=69626
And NepalNews wrote this..
Over 8000 Maoists killed since RNA deployment
The German bourgeois magazine Der Spiegel reported yesterday that more than 3,000,000 protestors took the streets of France on 3.28. No trains, the air planes on the ground, chaos on the streets, post offices closed... The most massive demonstrations and strikes since decades!
The British Guardian reported following...
French protesters rally against labour law
Union and student groups said 2.6 million people took to the streets across France today to protest against a new labour law making it easier to fire young workers.
A union official said the protest against the first job contract was one of the biggest since France's fifth republic was founded in 1958. French police, however, said the turnout was much lower at 900,000.
Skirmishes broke out in Paris between riot police and hooded youths at the end of a rally that drew tens of thousands of mostly peaceful students and employees.
Police used aggressive tactics to prevent any repetition of the violence that has marred previous demonstrations against the law.
Armed with orders to make as many arrests as possible, officers made forays into the crowd to round up troublemakers. They fired teargas at youths who threw traffic cones and tagged them with guns firing indelible ink.
Big crowds of demonstrators also joined rallies in Marseille, Bordeaux, Grenoble and Lyon, as well as in other cities.
"We have to defend the rights that were won by our ancestors and which the current government is trying to take away," Maxime Ourly, a literature student, told the Associated Press.
Commuter trains, buses and metro services were disrupted as unions went on a one-day national strike to oppose the "first job contract" law.
Postal staff, teachers and media employees also joined the action.
It was the first time that unions had ordered walkouts in solidarity with students who have spearheaded the recent wave of protests.
The dispute could have a major impact on next year's presidential elections, with the conservative prime minister, Dominique de Villepin - whose government introduced the controversial law - a potential candidate.
Mass street protests over pension reforms in 1995 were widely believed to have lost the conservatives the legislative elections held two years later.
Unions and students want Mr De Villepin to cancel the first job contract law, which is due to take effect next month.
They say the legislation will create a generation of throwaway workers because it will allow companies to dismiss workers under 26 without cause in their first two years of employment.
Mr De Villepin insists the measure will help reduce France's high levels of youth unemployment by giving bosses more flexibility.
French workers benefit from strong job protection, but some believe that discourages employers from hiring less experienced staff who have not yet shown they can do a job.
But a crack in the government opened when interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, also a likely presidential candidate, suggested that the contract be suspended to allow talks with unions - a clear break from Mr De Villepin.
Today's strike brought around half the commuter trains and 30% of metro services in the Paris area to a standstill. Public transport in 76 cities across the country was affected.
"It's really annoying," secretary Monique Paquet told the Associated Press as she waited for a bus in the Opera area of the French capital. "These strikes really slow me down."
Many French people have grown accustomed to walkouts by transport workers and adapted by taking time off or rearranging commutes to avoid peak hours.
Jean-Paul Boulet, a spokesman for the national train operator SNCF, said packed train stations were "a thing of the past", adding: "People get organised or will stay at home."
One flight in three at airports nationwide was disrupted, and the state-run radio station France-Info, a major source of daily news, broadcast only music.
People flying to France from Britain faced cancellations, with the budget airline Ryanair saying it had axed more than 70 flights from Stansted, Luton and Liverpool.
In an attempt to break the standoff, Mr De Villepin has offered to meet unions and student groups tomorrow. Most major unions want the first job contract measure withdrawn before any talks can begin.
The French news agency AFP reported...
France hit by strikes, protests over jobs law
And of course read also latest independent reports on
english language coverage of the young workers’ revolt in France
And once again the German magazine Der Spiegel published following article..
Jobless Youth:
Riots in France, Quiet Debates in Germany
oops... a new era of realism in the near east... lets see the near future!
The Israeli daily Yedioth Achronoth published yesterday, 3.27, following article...
Haniyeh: We want '67 borders state
Palestinian prime minister-designate tells Legislative Council Hamas-led government would seek establishment of Palestinian state in 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital; charges Israel incites against PA elected government
Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh said the Palestinian government was opposed to all temporary solutions regarding Palestinian borders.
“We support a Palestinian state based on the borders of 1967 with its capital in Jerusalem,” Haniyeh told the Palestinian Legislative Council in Ramallah Monday.
He also stated that "the Palestinian government will show responsibility regarding agreements signed by the PLO, and will take into consideration the Palestinian people's interests."
Haniyeh opened his speech with a verse from the Koran, and greeted all the shahids (martyrs), "and most of all the shahid Arafat and the shahid Sheikh Yassin."
The Hamas leader said in the Council's meeting that he would have preferred to hold the meeting in Jerusalem.
According to Haniyeh, the fact the Council did not assemble in Jerusalem "proves the cruelty of the occupier that continues its aggression against the Palestinian people, and continues to incite against its elected government."
Referring to the Israeli army's raid on the Jericho prison about two weeks ago, Haniyeh condemned the operation which he defined as "the abduction of the secretary-general of the Popular Front, Ahmed Saadat." "This proves that the occupation does not respect signed agreements," he stated.
'We'll release the Palestinian prisoners'
Israel has escalated its aggression against the Palestinians, Haniyeh charged, in a bid to punish them for the alleged mistake they made when electing Hamas. "This takes place before the eyes of the world. But we say, the Palestinian people should not be punished for its decision in a democratic elections. Those who think economic pressure will cause the Palestinian government to give in is mistaken, our people will continue to be determined," he stated.
Haniyeh also pledged his government will do everything within its powers to guarantee the release from jail of Palestinian and Arab prisoners. "We shall not forget you. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. We will do everything in order for you to walk free and join us in our construction project," he said.
The future prime minister vowed that his government would maintain proper constitutional relations with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, "for whom we thank for his support in the democratic process and his handling of the elections."
"All the problems and issues that would be raised, will be discussed through dialogue and cooperation between the government and the presidency, in keeping with each institution's independence."
Haniyeh also introduced to the Council his government's priorities:
1. Struggle against the occupation that hurts the Palestinian people and land
2. Guaranteeing the public's security
3. Improving the economic situation
4. Comprehensive reform and a struggle against corruption
5. Reorganizing the Palestinian national and political home
6. Strengthening the Palestinian issue as an Arabic and Muslim issue
7. Improving relations with the international community
'We'll integrate women in society'
In his speech, Haniyeh put emphasis on internal Palestinian affairs, and announced that the new government will do whatever it can to create a stable atmosphere that would encourage investments in the PA. He called on Palestinian, Arab and Muslim investors "to come and invest in the Palestinian homeland." Haniyeh also promised that the Palestinian administration will be founded on the principles of justice, equal opportunity and transparency.
According to the new prime minister, the government will work to ensure payment of salaries on time, and also surprised listeners by stating that "the Palestinian government will make every effort to see the Palestinian woman integrated into the life of the Palestinian society."
Haniyeh also stressed that his cabinet would strengthen the ties with the international community and the European Union. He pledged to any state or element that would contribute to the PA two principles:
1. The money will only be used for the project for which it was donated
2. Any state will be able to monitor the way the money is spent, in order to ensure it is not used by Hamas
Haniyeh also called on the international community to reconsider its position toward the new Palestinian government and to cease threatening sanctions against it. "We call on the international community to recognize the Palestinian people's democratic choice, and we laud and appreciate Russia's stance on the matter. The new government will be willing to engage in dialogue with the Quartet in order to strengthen stability and peace in the region."
IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz referred Monday morning to Haniyeh's statements regarding the need to put an end to the bloodshed between the two people.
"Hamas may pass a resolution recognizing Israel, renouncing terror and agreeing to honor past deals, but everything needs to be treated with caution. We estimated from the beginning Hamas will try to 'sell' statements it does not believe in. let's wait and see what happens in reality." He added.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3232759,00.html
Until now there are many Talkbacks..
Just read it!
The Israeli rightwing Jerusalem Post wrote following..
The British daily Guardian published yesterday following article..
National strike to hit key services
Most councils expect to be hit by the first stage of industrial action over government proposals to alter pension schemes for existing local government workers. Nine unions with a total of 1.5 million members are expected to take part.
In Liverpool, 120 schools will shut for the day, along with 24 libraries and 15 leisure centres. Two tunnels linking roads under the river Mersey will also face a 24-hour stoppage from tonight, as engineers down tools to support the protest against planned changes to the pension scheme.
In Shrewsbury, even burials and cremations have been suspended for the day alongside more mundane services such as refuse collection and leisure services, according to the Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council chief executive, Robin Hooper.
"The reality is that we will have probably less than 10% of our workforce," he said.
"Over the next few weeks this industrial action is set to continue until a solution has been reached."
Other councils are working hard to ensure social service delivery is not affected, though some councils such as Derbyshire, report that only "limited home help" will be available for the day.
Unison warned that tomorrow's national strike was "the beginning, not the end".
"There won't be a place in the country that will not be affected," a spokeswoman said.
"This is not an action that we take lightly but our members are very angry that this is their last resort. We expect tomorrow's strike to be solid, but it is the beginning, not the end and we will be looking at further action over the coming months."
Under government plans for public-sector pensions, only new workers in health, police, fire, education and the civil service will see their retirement age rise to 65.
Council workers are furious that they have been singled out for changes to the pensions they have been paying into for years. Tripartite talks with the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, and council bosses broke down after the government refused to budge on giving existing staff lifetime protection from the proposed changes, in line with the rest of their public-sector colleagues.
Local-government unions accept that the retirement age for new staff will rise to 65 but want half the pension savings reinvested to help existing members and retain the so-called 85-year rule, which allows those with 30 years' service to retire at 60.
Council bosses, meanwhile, insist that the current scheme is unaffordable and will prove to be too high a burden on council-tax payers in the future.
They reiterated their condemnation for the strike as they vowed to try and keep service disruption "to a minimum". But they admit tomorrow's strike will have a "major impact" on local service delivery and represents the largest walkout since the winter of discontent strikes of the 1970s, which helped to bring down the Labour government.
The chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, said: "It is deeply disappointing that even before any decisions have been made, the unions have chosen to go down the route of industrial action.
"The changes to local-government staff pensions are both needed and necessary. Most local-government staff currently retire at 65, compared to the rest of the public sector at 60.
"However, because people are living longer this will mean that unless action is taken in the future, council tax will continue to rise.
"The key aspect of these changes is to make sure the pension scheme does not cost the council taxpayer any more money while at the same time making sure that local government continues to be an attractive place to work in.
"Local councils will do everything in their power to ensure that disruption services given to the some of the most vulnerable in society will be kept to an absolute minimum."
http://society.guardian.co.uk/localgovt/story/0,,1740826,00.html
..AND IN FRANCE ON THE SAME DAY... NATIONAL PROTEST DAY, OR PERHAPS GENERAL STRIKE AGAINST THE CPE!
The Israeli bourgeois newspaper Yedioth Achronoth published yesterday following disturbingly article..
Report: Massive anti-terror raid planned
Quoting Israeli security sources, Sunday Times reports three armored divisions as well as several battalions of paratroops, infantry to enter Palestinian towns after elections 'until last of terrorists are dead or under arrest'
The IDF, the Ministry of Defense and senior figures in Kadima are considering plans for a massive military operation in the West Bank after Tuesday’s elections, the London-based Sunday Times magazine reported.
Uzi Mahnaimi, the magazine's correspondent in Israel, described an Israeli plan to take over major Palestinian-controlled towns in a bid
to break the increasingly powerful grip of terror groups there, focusing on Hamas strongholds.
According to Mahnaimi, Major-General (res.) Amos Gilad, one of the Defense Ministry’s most senior officials, talked about the possibility of an operation aimed at penetrating the terrorists’ strongholds in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip following the appointment of a Palestinian government led by Hamas.
Mahnaimi, who claimed to rely on Israeli defense officials, described the details of the planned operation, which is believed to call for at least three armored divisions as well as several battalions of paratroops and infantry. It would be intended primarily to destroy nests of terror from Hamas and other groups in West Bank towns such as Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron, he reported.
“The military aim will be to seize the main Palestinian towns in the West Bank and continue the operation until the last of the terrorists are dead or under arrest,” an Israeli security source told the Sunday Times reporter.
Mahnaimi added that operation planners envisage the army eventually withdrawing to Israel’s final borders as part of Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's "convergence" plan, having neutralized much of the potential threat to Israel's security.
It is possible of course that the publication's timing, two days before the Israeli public casts its votes, also has to do with politics and with an another attempt by Kadima to appeal to right-wing voters, after it already wooed the Left with withdrawal promises.
Moussa's conditions
Defense establishment officials have been estimating for a long time now that an additional round of violence is expected in the region in the near future. The assessment gained further backing following Hamas' victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, and in light of what appears as additional unilateral moves on the part of Israel opposite the Hamas authority.
The Arab world is also preparing for the day after, and is concerned over an accelerated attempt by Israel to isolate the Palestinian Authority in the international arena. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa has already announced that he would not allow such a situation and expressed his fear that any prospect for negotiations between the parties after Olmert's apparent victory will be lost.
Moussa also said that the Arabs would oppose unilateral moves on the part of Israel, which would harm the Palestinian interest and change facts on the ground. He added, however, that if Israel withdraws from territories while leaving fundamental issues such as Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees up for future talks, "we will not oppose a peace initiative."
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BTW here you can reads three intersting article which were published after the Jericho raid by the IDF...
The good ol' IDF
Jericho raid reminder of what army can do when it's not constrained
Last week's Jericho operation reminded the nation and the world that the IDF, when it wishes to – or more accurately when the politicians allow it to – is able to take care of all sorts of scoundrels better than any other army.
The problem is that in the past 12 years we almost forgot we have this kind of army. False prophets were scared to utilize it as they should have, even when necessary, lest their "peace process" be undermined and their tragic mistake be exposed to the public.
Read the full article here..
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3229663,00.html
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Jericho raid: A new era
Prison raid reflects new Israeli attitude to Hamas-led PA; officials: Confrontation inevitable
New rules: The story of Israel's takeover of the Jericho prison last week can be viewed as a microcosm reflecting developments in the Palestinian Authority, Israel's relations with the Palestinians, and the kind of future that lies in store with a Hamas-led PA.
The decision to refrain from a full-scale raid into the prison in order to detain top detainees barricaded there and choosing instead to avoid unnecessary risks and continue to chip away at prison walls and pressing ahead with the siege, was not only a military tactic.
Read the full article here..
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3229522,00.html
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NO COMMENT!!
eKantipur reported yesterday following..
Home Minister warns SPA
Home Minister Kamal Thapa on Friday warned the seven-party alliance (SPA) that the government would be forced to dub it as an accomplice of the Maoist rebels if the SPA does not pull itself out of the recent second pact reached with the Maoists.
Speaking during a programme in the capital today Minister Thapa further hinted that the second understanding reached between the SPA and the Maoist rebels would, "aggravate the ongoing crisis and put the nation at stake."
Thapa also claimed that the government would not leave any stone unturned to foil the SPA's call for a major showdown in the capital this month.
He also called on all the SPA leaders to initiate a peaceful dialogue with the king by eschewing any prejudice and to rise above the petty political goals to take part in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
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For the coming month the Alliance of the Seven Parties, incl. the CPN, Maoist, are preparing for a massive protest campaign...
While the French student organisations refused yesterday to discuss with Villepin about a modification of the CPE, the student organisations and the trade unions just want to accept a canceling of the law, heavy clashes between protestors and riot cops errupted in the evening, CET, in Paris and in several other cities in France.
AFP, the official French news agency, reported this..
Violence erupted again during a protest march in central Paris against the French government's youth jobs programme, even as the embattled Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin gave ground by offering open-agenda talks with trade unions and student groups.
The Invalides esplanade -- a much-visited open space by the river Seine not far from the foreign ministry -- was the scene of running battles between riot police and gangs of masked youths who hurled projectiles, smashed shop windows and set fire to cars.
The youths, who appeared not to be part of the main protest march, threw stones and metal bars at firemen called to a put out a blaze in a nearby shop. Police sealed off the Seine bridges and made dozens of arrests.
Clashes between police and protesters also took place in the Mediterranean port of Marseille, the cities of Rennes, Grenoble and Lyon, and the Paris suburbs of Savigny-sur-Orge, Creteil and Rueil-Malmaison.
Altogether some 220,000 high school and university students took part in a fourth day of nationwide demonstrations against the government's contested First Employment Contract (CPE), a slight decline on a week ago, according to government figures.
Protests have repeatedly turned violent, notably on Saturday when a trade union member fell into a coma after being caught in a police baton-charge in the capital.
The latest disturbances came as the first hints of conciliation in the crisis emerged, with Villepin and the main trade unions agreeing to hold talks in Paris Friday.
In a letter the prime minister promised that the agenda of the talks would be "completely open," and in their reply the unions said they "reaffirm their demand for the CPE to be withdrawn before we agree to dialogue or negotiation on employment, job insecurity and the future of the youth."
Villepin also wrote to student leaders asking them to talks at his residence next week, his office said.
The prime minister has come under growing criticism -- even from within his ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) -- for failing to respond to the growing campaign of popular opposition, and Thursday's initiative was the first sign of a search for a compromise.
An open-ended contract that can be terminated within the first two years without justification, the CPE was conceived by Villepin as a tool against France's high youth unemployment rate which is can reach more than 50 percent in the high-immigration suburbs hit by last year's riots.
But it is opposed by an alliance of students, unions and left-wing political parties, who see it as a breach in France's hard-won system of employee protection. They have been demanding its complete withdrawal as a precondition for ending their protests.
A day of nationwide strikes and more demonstrations is planned for Tuesday.
The measure was voted through parliament two weeks ago as part of a wider equal opportunities law, and is now awaiting approval from the Constitutional Council -- the body that rules on the constitutionality of laws -- before coming into force.
Villepin, 52, who was appointed by President Jacques Chirac 10 months ago, has staked his political future on implementing the CPE, and it was still unclear how much he would be willing to compromise.
On Tuesday he told UMP deputies that he would not accept withdrawal or suspension of the contract, nor "emptying it of its essence." However commentators Thursday said he appeared to have come under pressure from Chirac to let out some slack.
Opponents of the CPE say its two most contentious features are the two-year trial period, and the "non-justification" clause which they believe gives employers too free a hand to sack young staff.
A new opinion poll Thursday showed that 66 percent of the public want the CPE withdrawn, a fall of two points on a week ago.
On Wednesday Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy -- Villepin's main political rival -- warned of the climate of lawlessness spreading to the country's high-immigration city suburbs and reigniting the riots that raged for three weeks in November.
For more, detailed and especially independent
informations please check out
English language coverage of the young workers’ revolt in France
According to the German daily Berliner Zeitung the French govt. is worrying about a huge revolt by the trade unions and student organisations in the coming days..
The British Guardian wrote about the issue following stuff..
Sarkozy suggests labour law 'experiment'
The French interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, attempted to distance himself from an unpopular new employment law today by suggesting a six-month trial period for the measure.
The new law, which would allow employers to fire people under 26 without giving a reason, has sparked violent protests and the threat of a national strike.
It has also highlighted divisions between the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, and Mr Sarkozy, who is expected to run in next year's presidential election.
Mr de Villepin has seen his popularity slump after pushing through the measure, known as the CPE first job contract.
He claims it would help cut youth unemployment, which is currently about 23% and rises to 50% in some poorer parts of Paris.
Opponents have said the contracts, which allow workers to be sacked during a two-year trial period, would create a generation of young workers with no job security.
Demonstrations by students have so far closed 18 universities and partially blocked 41 others. Trade unions have called for a national strike next Tuesday to try to force the government to reconsider.
Mr Sarkozy's remarks, made in an interview with the weekly magazine Paris Match, are being seen by some French commentators as an attempt to distance himself from Mr de Villepin.
"The wise thing would be for all to agree to a six-month experiment" in order to pull the country out of the crisis, he told the magazine.
Mr de Villepin has refused to withdraw the contract, despite the mounting pressure. He is seeking talks with the unions to amend the law but they have refused.
Mr Sarkozy denied rumours that he intended to leave the government. "One doesn't leave the government on an opportunistic decision," he said. "I have solidarity while being different."
Yesterday saw the fourth student-led protest in eight days with at least 5,000 people marching through the Left Bank. Some demonstrators threw bottles at police.
A 39-year-old demonstrator who was caught up in skirmishes with police on Saturday remained in a coma today.
Mr Sarkozy attracted international criticism, but won the backing of many French people, after the Paris riots last year during which called the urban poor a "rabble" and threatened to "clean them off the streets".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,,1737101,00.html
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Looking forward to hearing your opinion. By the way, did you follow the big strike in the UK yesterday too? It seems to have gone very well.부가 정보
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yeah, 1,5 million in UK, german newspapers reported.. the largest since 80 years they wrote..btw, where are you staying, or hanging around.. s. korea.. i dont think so..
aeh.. and my opinion.. maybe tomorrow, but i am not sure, because i have a lot of stuuff to do right now... later you can read more about it... but i will try my best...
and.. do we know each other from somewhere..
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I'm in London, studying at SOAS. Haven't been in Korea since winter 2003 where I think I bumped into you at the migrant workers' protest at Myongdong.부가 정보