Before his election in May, the 39-year-old centrist vowed repeatedly to take on the country's powerful trade unions by overhauling highly protective and rigid labour regulations. Reaction from other trade unions will be crucial as Macron seeks to avoid a major confrontation following often-violent demonstrations last year against labour changes made by his predecessor, Francois Hollande. The influential head of the employers' confederation Medef, Pierre Gattaz, has urged Macron to be bold with the labour market changes, which have been drawn up in secrecy. "This labour law will be the bellwether of Emmanuel Macron's presidency and his desire to really reform," Gattaz said Tuesday, echoing the views of many economists. At present, French labour law is enshrined in the national labour code, a red book which runs to around 3,000 pages covering everything from health and safety to contract law and pensions.

Source: The Local August 31, 2017 07:41 UTC