France is burning. Again. Put to flame by folks who are 100% French. Again. And teetering at the tippy-top of France's crisis pyramid is Jack. The president of France. A politician who hasn't made a correct call in years.

What is behind all the fuss? Le contrat première embauche* (first employment contract, "CPE"), an innocuous piece of contract labor law. If it is promulgated it becomes but one of many French labor contracts (CA, CDI, CDD, CNE, CPE,, et al.).

The CPE allows employers to fire first-hires under the age of 26 within the first two years of employment. Under its provisions, those dismissed after four months’ employment receive benefits in the amount of €460/month (USD$559.40) for a period of two years in addition to 8% severance of salary earned.

Among the other guarantees included in the “first-job” contract are the right to individual training leave, for which employees under the contract are eligible starting their second month of employment with the company, and eligibility for the State-funded “Locapass” programme, which provides assistance with security deposit payments for rented housing and which will be offered systematically when this type of employment contract is signed.

Much is made of the CPE provision allowing an employer to dismiss without a given reason. Opponents suggest the dismissal could be completely arbitrary or unfair. But an employer cannot fire an employee without objective cause, that is, he cannot fire in contravention of protections in extant French labor law. The CPE difference is that the usual arrangement has been reversed. The burden is on the employee to prove his claim to stay on, not the employer to justify the dismissal.

Anywhere else but France the CPE would be ice cream.

WILL TOOTHLESS JACK BARE HIS GUMS AT TOOTHY YOUTHS?
Bold Leadership Just Hours Away

We have been ducking this story because it is moving fast and in several directions at once. It has required some homework and sorting it all out has a been a slog. But we think we are up to speed. But no need to wait on us. There are several other blogs reporting more fully and timely on CPE-related events:

E-Nough!: First-hand reports and non-wire photos of the situation in Paris from our friend Carine.

¡No Pasarán!: Funny trenchant commentary from the international brigade.

libcom.org/blog -- unrest in france: This is a self-styled "vox populi" site run by collegians. It is sympathethic to the extra-legislative trashing of the CPE. A sort of Indymedia specializing in the CPE. Still, informative and interesting. The great thing about Lefty blogs, plenty of people with time to burn.

Wikipedia: Wiki is maintaining a current event page for the CPE, but it is spare.

(Where is the Frogman?)

Now back to teetering Jack.

PRESSURE ON CHIRAC TO INTERVENE IN CPE PROTESTS

PARIS March 29, 2006 (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac was under intense pressure Wednesday to intervene in the spiralling dispute over his government's youth jobs law, which the day before brought out more than a million people onto the streets.

IT'S UP TO CHIRAC: PRESIDENT EXPECTED TO STICK WITH CPE

PARIS March 30, 2006 (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac is expected Friday to sign into law a contested youth jobs contract that has sparked weeks of sometimes [Sic, the correct word here is "often"] violent protests, after a committee [sic!, Le Conseil constitutionnel, the Council is a state institution, something a little more than an occasional or circumstantial sitting of government] of experts removed the last legal obstacle.

FRENCH COURT APPROVES DISPUTED YOUTH JOBS LAW

PARIS March 31, 2006 (NZH/Reuters) - France's Constitutional Council has approved a controversial youth jobs law,** leaving President Jacques Chirac to sign it and spark more street protests or risk losing his prime minister by withdrawing it.

Contrary to expectations, the council did not issue any reservations about the law, which cuts job protection for workers under 26, a move that could have forced the government of Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to amend the text.

Aides said Chirac would go on national television to give his response to the decision... Parliamentary sources said they expected Chirac to sign the CPE First Jobs Contract into law the same day.

Will he? Won't he? Stop by tomorrow for the next exciting chapter.

* A government CPE brief can be found here. The bill itself, here (Title I.Article 8).
** The Council's decision can be found here.

PFFT (What is this?): Legislating from the barricades 4 | Rayonnement français 0