Since the autumn of 2008, the publication of the pay and bonuses of company chief executive officers (CEOs) has shocked public opinion and especially people working in the many companies that, at the same time, announced closures or staff reductions (*FR0908029I* [1]). Some 150,000 manufacturing job
The workplace elections of 26 March 2009 at the French National Railway Company (Société nationale des chemins de fer français, SNCF [1]) have significantly changed the company’s system of social relations due to the nationwide application of new rules on trade union representativeness [2] (
The reform of the special pension schemes (*FR0703029I* [1]), which was announced by the government on 9 September 2007, concerns the electricity and gas industries – namely the French Electricity Board (Electricité de France, EDF [2]) and the French Gas Board (Gaz de France, GDF [3]) – along with
From 28 February to 10 April 2007, a strike took place at the PSA Peugeot Citroën [1] car manufacturing plant in Aulnay-sous-Bois in the northeastern suburbs of Paris. [1] http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/
Workplace elections take place every three years in the national police force. The elections provide the opportunity for measuring changes in the representativeness [1] of the trade unions. The latter share the support of some 125,000 members of the police force (Police nationale [2]), which is
On 21–27 April 2006, the General Confederation of Labour (Confédération générale du travail, CGT [1]) held its 48th confederal congress [2] in Lille in northern France. The confederation’s congress took place just a few weeks after the protest movement against the ‘first job contract’ (/Contrat
On 23 March 2006, workplace elections were held at French National Railways (Société nationale des chemins de fer français, SNCF [1]), two years after the previous election round. SNCF employees elected both workplace-level representatives for the works councils and also employee representatives
While the government pursues its programme of income tax cuts which will extend into 2007, a new instrument for controlling public spending has been put in place. Although the governmentaeuroTMs budget deficit was contained in 2005, the national debt exceeded 60% of GDP. As a result, the government
On 5 July 2005, The General Assembly of the Movement of French Business (Mouvement des entreprises de France, MEDEF) elected 46 year-old Laurence Parisot to the Chair of the main French employers’ association. This election sees a woman accede to this position of great responsibility at a moment
On 2 June 2005, four of the SNCF’s eight unions called for a national strike in defence of wages, jobs and the public service. They are also hostile to the company’s new freight plan.