French prisons were brought to a standstill in October 2000 by industrial action called by three prison officers' trade unions in a protest over shortages of staff and funding. After a two-week dispute, an agreement was reached by the two majority unions and the Ministry of Justice.
The running of prisons was affected between 4 and 19 October 2000 following industrial action by prison officers. The action was called initially by the Federal Prison Administration Union (Union fédérale de l'administration pénitentiaire, UFAP) - affiliated to the National Federation of Independent
In October 2000, 122 Romanian workers employed by a German company in France won an industrial tribunal case over unpaid wages. The French government subsequently stepped in to pay the workers' wages when the company failed to do so.
In September 2000, a new observatory was created for the collection and distribution of information pertaining to employment in the French civil service. It will also monitor the evolution of jobs and civil servants' skills - areas where information is currently lacking.
In September 2000, French public transport was hit by a number of strikes. The conflicts centred mainly on pay, reflecting a widespread feeling among French workers that, after years of wage restraint, they are now entitled to a share of current economic growth.
Following the recent annulment by the courts of a sectoral agreement introducing the 35-hour week in the French banking industry, a company agreement on the reduction of working time was signed in July 2000 at the BNP-Paribas group. The deal was signed by three trade unions - CFDT, CFTC and SNB-CGC
In two rulings issued in July 2000, France's highest court, the Cour de Cassation, laid down limits governing the transfer of employment contracts arising from a change in an employer's legal status. The judgments have important implications for the subcontracting and outsourcing of activities by
On 24 July 2000, the French government officially announced that it would not approve a new agreement reforming the UNEDIC unemployment insurance system, signed by employers' organisations (CGPME, MEDEF and UPA) and two trade union confederations (CFDT and CFTC). In the light of this decision, these
In July 2000, the National Economic Planning Agency presented to the Prime Minister a major report on France's economic and social prospects. This report, which should form the basis for government action, was preceded by a wide-ranging consultation process involving the social partners and various
As it does every year, the French government reviewed and raised the SMIC national minimum wage as of 1 July 2000. However, this year, due to the implementation of the law on the 35-hour working week, two different levels of pay, corresponding to two separate SMICs, have been laid down.