This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

The 2006 labor protests in France occurred throughout France during February, March, and April 2006 as a result of opposition to a measure set to deregulate labor. Young people are the primary participants in the protests as the controversial bill would directly affect their jobs. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... To suggest a relevant news story for the Main Page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. ... February 2006 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → 28 February 2006 (Tuesday) Al Askari Mosque bombing: Sixty-eight people have been killed so far today in Baghdad, Iraq. ... To suggest a relevant news story for the main page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. ... To suggest a relevant news story for the main page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. ...

The labour bill

In order to protect the city, public authorities ordered that the Place de La Sorbonne should be closed. This place has turned to be a symbol for French students protests since the events of May 1968.

The controversial bill, entitled the Contrat première embauche (CPE - First Employment Contract or Beginning Workers Contract) ^[1], would make it easier for workers under twenty-six years old to be fired. It allows employers the opportunity to terminate employment of workers under twenty-six without any reason, with little or no notice, within their first two years of employment ^[2]. Those opposed to the First Employment Contract are worried that it could compromise job security, encourage social pressure with a view to lowering wages, and impede employees in having legal recourse in cases of sexual harassment, since this could lead to their subsequently being fired. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1610 KB) Beschreibung Description: Gendarme an der Absprerrung des Platzes vor der Sorbonne. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1610 KB) Beschreibung Description: Gendarme an der Absprerrung des Platzes vor der Sorbonne. ... ... May 1968 poster: Be young and shut up. ... Demonstration against CPE, March 18, 2006, Paris The Contrat première embauche (CPE), translated first employment contract (although it may not be a first employment contract for the employee), is a proposed French law set to take effect in April 2006 that gives employers the right to fire without justification... An individual can face termination of employment, or job loss, for one of many reasons. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A wage is the amount of money paid for some specified quantity of labour. ... Sexual harassment is harassment of a sexual nature, typically in the workplace or other setting where raising objections or refusing may have negative consequences. ...

Proponents of the bill argue that France's tighly regulated employment market discourages French businesses from employing staff, which has led to France suffering high unemployment. Youth are particuarly at risk as they have been locked out of the same career opportunities as older workers, contributing to both a brain drain of graduates leaving for better opportunities in Britain and the United States, and a rise in tensions amongst the economically disenfranchised underclass. A brain drain or human capital flight is an emigration of trained and talented individuals (human capital) for other nations or jurisdictions, due to conflict or lack of opportunity or health hazards where they are living. ...

The French population is roughly split on the issue of whether the First Employment Contract should be implemented. The contract was first proposed after the civil unrest that occurred in France in October and November 2005. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin's rating dropped to a four-month low of forty-two percent ^[3], largely because of the recent protests against the bill. He stated though that he had the backing of French President Jacques Chirac. However, in recent days, polls in L'Express and Paris-Match have displayed a swing of the population behind protesters - around 70% are now against the CPE law, which has been promulgated by president Chirac. A torched car in Strasbourg, 5 November. ... The Prime Minister of France (Premier ministre de la France) is the functional head of the Cabinet of France. ... Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (born 14 November 1953) simply known as Dominique de Villepin ( — (help· info), is a French diplomat and politician. ... The President of France, known officially as the President of the Republic (Président de la République in French), is Frances elected Head of State. ... H.E. (help· info), (born November 29, 1932 in Paris) is a French politician who is currently President of the French Republic. ... LExpress is the name the first news magazine in France. ... Alexandre Coste on the cover of Paris Match Paris Match is a French magazine. ...

The bill also includes the possibility of manual labour apprenticeship for 14 years olds, suspension of family welfare in cases of students skipping school (a measure which has long been in the program of the far-right National Front party), and night labour being permitted for youths as young as 15 years old (as against 16 years old before). Apprenticeship is a traditional method, still popular in some countries, of training a new generation of skilled crafts practitioners. ... Welfare is financial assistance paid by the government to certain entities or groups of people who are unable to support themselves alone, or are perceived by the government to do be able to do function more effectively with financial assistance. ... Truancy (in Great Britain, colloquially known as bunking off, wagging, skiving or Mitching. ... Front National can mean: Front National, a right-wing French political party. ...

The protests

February

Protests against the bill originally occurred before the bill was approved by Dominique de Villepin. On February 7, between 200,000 and 400,000 people took part in 187 demonstrations. Some universities, include Rennes, were also occupied during February. Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (born 14 November 1953) simply known as Dominique de Villepin ( — (help· info), is a French diplomat and politician. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

A torched car burns in Paris on March 18

Image File history File links Frenchriot-18-mar-06. ... Image File history File links Frenchriot-18-mar-06. ... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city, with the skyscrapers of La Défense business district 3 miles behind. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ...

Early March

Over a million took part in protests on March 7. March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in Leap years). ...

A number of smaller actions took place between the March 7th and 19th mass mobilisations. Including the occupation of the Sorbonne on 9th March, rioting by youths in Rennes on March 13th, and the blockading of Nantes train station on March 14th ^[4].

March 16

Protests across France on March 16 led to widespread disruptions. Approximately one hundred bicyclists barricaded streets around the Louvre in protests unrelated to the labor contract^[5]. (The protest around the Louvre concerned the lack of sports teachers in schools.) Another hundred protesters descended on City Hall in Rennes, refusing to leave. Other, mostly peaceful, protests occurred throughout the country, in cities such as Marseille. Many universities, including the University of Toulouse, were forced to close on March 16 as some wanted them to remain open and others wanted them closed during the large protests. March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... I.M. Peis Louvre Pyramid: the entrance to the galleries lies below the glass pyramid The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre, pronounced in French) in Paris, France, is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. ... Location within France Some medieval houses, such as these, can still be found in the center of Rennes. ... City motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis. ... The University of Toulouse is one of the oldest universities in Europe. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ...

March 18

Media attention focussed on the violent element of the demonstrations in Paris on March 18, when as many as 700,000 protesters converged on the city's Place de la Nation. Once the protesters departed from the meeting, a few dozen rioters began to torch cars and vandalize store fronts as police were called in to calm the situation. To suppress the crowd, police officers began to spray tear gas. March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city, with the skyscrapers of La Défense business district 3 miles behind. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... A riot control agent is a type of lachrymatory agent (or lacrimatory agent). ...

In the evening, new clashes occurred on the Place de la Sorbonne, between a hundred demonstrators and the police, until 1 am.

A protester from that night, Cyril Ferez, a syndicalist from the Sud-PTT union, trampled by riot police, remains in a coma after skirmishes in the Place de la Nation, Paris.^[6] Syndicalism is a political and economic ideology which advocates giving control of both industry and government to labor union federations. ...

This day saw 156 people being arrested in Paris.

Protesters in Marseille were also sprayed with tear gas after some of them climbed Marseille's City Hall and replaced a French flag with a flag that proclaimed "anticapitalism." City motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis. ... Anti-capitalism is any and all opposition to Capitalism. ...

Throughout the rest of the country, less violent protests occurred. In the estimated 160 protests organized around the country, police estimated that half a million students and laborers participated. Organizers estimated the number was closer to 1.5 million.^[7]

March 21

After large demonstrations and subsequent riots on the 16th and 18th of March, on the 21st the Dijon students' union called for a general strike.^[8], as demanded by left-wing papers such as Libération. A meeting that day of various labour and student groups.^[9] agreed for another 'day of action' against the law, including strikes, demonstrations and university occupations across the country. March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... Libération (affectionately known as Libé) is a French newspaper founded in Paris in 1973 by Jean-Paul Sartre, Pierre Victor alias Benny Lévy and Serge July in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. ...

March 23

Riots erupted again after a day of relative calm in several cities in France. According to the French national ministry of education, universities had continued their strike and 21 universities out of 84 were entirely blocked by students. In total, 67 universities are either on strike or blockage. March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ...

March 28

In Cannes, on march 31st, a few hundred youths blocked the important junction "Place du 18 juin" for 10 to 15 minutes.

CPE opponents convened a fourth national 'day of action' against the law on March 28, including strikes, demonstrations and university occupations across France. Strikes disrupted rail and air transport, public education and mail services while between 1.055 million people (according to police estimates) and 2.71 million (according to union estimates) marched against the law.^[10][11] Much of the discrepancy in crowd estimates is in Paris where the police estimated 92,000 demonstrators while unions estimated 700,000. Whatever the sources, this is double the number that on the March 16 demonstration, and more than during the December 1995 protests against the reform of pensions laws. March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 931 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: 2006 labor protests in France ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 931 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: 2006 labor protests in France ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

University occupations

During the dispute, numerous student bodies have gone on strike, or occupied parts of their faculties. Due to police counter-attacks at the Sorbonne, an initial occupation was repulsed - yet the national student federation UNEF claim that the number of occupations has been increasing - 67 of France's 89 universities remain on strike.^[12]

See also

• First Employment Contract
• May 1968
• 2005 civil unrest in France
• English language blog on the unrest in France - this started as one of the first English media sources bringing direct translations from media within France to a wider audience. Updated constantly.
• Labor Law Protests in France: 1968 Encore?, JURIST
• CPE legal news and resources, JURIST

Demonstration against CPE, March 28, 2006, Paris The contrat première embauche (CPE), translated first employment contract, is a proposed law that would be created by an amendment to the eighth article of the Statute on the Equality of Opportunities law. ... May 1968 poster: Be young and shut up. ... A torched car in Strasbourg, 5 November. ... A jurist is a professional who studies, develops, applies or otherwise deals with the law. ... A jurist is a professional who studies, develops, applies or otherwise deals with the law. ...

References