https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed France's Marine Le Pen was set to lead a rally of far-right European partners in southern France on Tuesday to denounce the EU and celebrate gains for nationalist movements across the continent. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180501/le-pen-leads-far-right-european-rally-in-southern-france Tue, 01 May 2018 15:02:25 +0200 le-pen-leads-far-right-european-rally-in-southern-france French railways workers were urged Friday to join civil servants in a nationwide day of protest next month against President Emmanuel Macron's reform agenda in what will be a major test of strength. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180216/macron-to-face-nationwide-protests-in-march-says-union Fri, 16 Feb 2018 12:50:53 +0100 macron-to-face-nationwide-protests-in-march-says-union The French government surprised labour unions Thursday by announcing voluntary buyouts for some of the country's five million civil servants, an unprecedented move against jobs which are largely considered secure for life. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180202/france-takes-unions-by-surprise-with-attack-on-public-services Fri, 02 Feb 2018 10:32:20 +0100 france-takes-unions-by-surprise-with-attack-on-public-services Two former employees of the German embassy in Paris have accused it of using fake invoicing practices to channel money into a fund used to give staff undeclared cash salary top-ups. https://www.thelocal.fr/20171101/german-embassy-in-paris-accused-of-wrongful-dismissal-and-undeclared-staff-payments Wed, 01 Nov 2017 17:11:49 +0100 german-embassy-in-paris-accused-of-wrongful-dismissal-and-undeclared-staff-payments The number of people unemployed in France has seen a big drop, according to new government figures. The news comes amid French President Emmanuel Macron's attempts to reinvigorate the country's labour market. https://www.thelocal.fr/20171025/france-sees-record-drop-in-unemployment-figures Wed, 25 Oct 2017 12:23:42 +0200 france-sees-record-drop-in-unemployment-figures French President Emmanuel Macron launched round two of his ambitious domestic reform programme on Thursday, welcoming business leaders and trade unionists for talks about a highly sensitive overhaul of unemployment benefits. https://www.thelocal.fr/20171012/macron-launches-second-round-of-labour-reforms Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:42:59 +0200 macron-launches-second-round-of-labour-reforms For the first time in ten years on Tuesday, nine unions representing France’s public service workers are jointly calling on employees to strike against the government's raft of "negative" employment reforms. https://www.thelocal.fr/20171010/france-how-tuesdays-mass-public-sector-strikes-will-affect-you Tue, 10 Oct 2017 10:40:29 +0200 france-how-tuesdays-mass-public-sector-strikes-will-affect-you Tens of thousands of French leftists are expected to answer a call by firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon to throng the streets of Paris on Saturday in protest over President Emmanuel Macron's sweeping reforms of the labour code. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170923/french-left-to-stage-street-showdown-over-macron-reforms Sat, 23 Sep 2017 13:57:02 +0200 french-left-to-stage-street-showdown-over-macron-reforms President Emmanuel Macron on Friday signed sweeping changes to France's complex labour code into law, sealing a signature reform after four months at the helm. He will do it live on TV. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170922/macron-to-sign-his-signature-labour-reforms Fri, 22 Sep 2017 17:45:16 +0200 macron-to-sign-his-signature-labour-reforms The French government will press ahead with President Emmanuel Macron's flagship labour reforms despite the first mass protests against his pro-business agenda, a leading minister said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170913/we-wont-back-down-vows-french-government-after-tens-of-thousands-protest-against-labour-reforms Wed, 13 Sep 2017 15:14:24 +0200 we-wont-back-down-vows-french-government-after-tens-of-thousands-protest-against-labour-reforms The first day of major demonstrations against French President Emmanuel Macron's changes to France's enshrined labour code saw tens of thousands of protesters take to the streets on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170912/france-tens-of-thousands-take-to-the-streets-to-protest-macrons-labour-reforms Tue, 12 Sep 2017 20:24:23 +0200 france-tens-of-thousands-take-to-the-streets-to-protest-macrons-labour-reforms French unions hold a day of strikes and street protests against Emmanuel Macron's flagship labour reforms, a key test as he stakes his presidency on overhauling the sluggish economy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170912/strikes-and-street-protests-against-macrons-labour-reforms-hit-france Tue, 12 Sep 2017 20:20:29 +0200 strikes-and-street-protests-against-macrons-labour-reforms-hit-france French President Emmanuel Macron has been blasted by politicians and the public alike for describing opponents of his highly controversial labour reforms as "lazy". https://www.thelocal.fr/20170911/macron-blasted-for-labelling-opponents-slackers-as-unions-get-set-to-strike-over-labour-reforms Mon, 11 Sep 2017 14:59:19 +0200 macron-blasted-for-labelling-opponents-slackers-as-unions-get-set-to-strike-over-labour-reforms French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday triggered a furious reaction from Poland after he attacked Warsaw for rejecting tough proposals to overhaul a controversial EU rule on cheap labour. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170826/france-and-poland-clash-over-eu-cheap-labour-rule Sat, 26 Aug 2017 10:25:38 +0200 france-and-poland-clash-over-eu-cheap-labour-rule President Emmanuel Macron met resistance on Friday from eastern European leaders over his plans to protect France from cheap labour as one berated his sometimes "offensive" stance. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170623/macron-takes-eastern-eu-flak-for-offensive-labour-plan Fri, 23 Jun 2017 17:02:02 +0200 macron-takes-eastern-eu-flak-for-offensive-labour-plan The French have developed an unfair reputation for being workshy, probably thanks to its famous 35-hour week, but new figures reveal the country’s workforce are putting it more hours than you’d have thought. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161222/new-figures-show-the-french-are-not-actually-workshy-as Thu, 22 Dec 2016 15:59:30 +0100 new-figures-show-the-french-are-not-actually-workshy-as Strikes by rail workers and flooding disrupted France on Friday, as the new threat of a pilots' strike hung over Euro 2016 football tournament a week before the tournament kicks off. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160604/french-rail-strike-enters-third-day Sat, 04 Jun 2016 10:21:50 +0200 french-rail-strike-enters-third-day Police reacted with tear gas and water cannons as peaceful protests organized by students and unions turned violent, with clashes in Paris and Nantes in particular. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160517/more-clashes-break-out-at-labour-reform-protests-in-paris-nantes Tue, 17 May 2016 17:51:53 +0200 more-clashes-break-out-at-labour-reform-protests-in-paris-nantes Demonstrations in France turned ugly once again, as violence marred more protests against the labour reform bill. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160512/protests-turn-violent-over-frances-labour-reform-bill Thu, 12 May 2016 18:13:15 +0200 protests-turn-violent-over-frances-labour-reform-bill Under pressure from unions and student groups the French government has come up with a watered down version of its original labour reforms bill. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160314/french-government-waters-down-contested-labour-market-reform Mon, 14 Mar 2016 17:43:08 +0100 french-government-waters-down-contested-labour-market-reform