French chaos ahead? Crumbling Europhile Macron must FACE DOWN militant unions to save face
FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has to deliver on his campaign pledge to reform labour law to avoid a further crisis as polls show support for his presidency is declining.
Jonathan Fenby: Emmanuel Macron HAS to pass labour bill
Investment expert Jonathan Fenby said that it is "essential" for Macron to deliver on his promise to reform French labour laws in order to succeed as President.
Speaking to CNBC, Fenby said: "This labour law is absolutely essential to Macron. if he doesn't get that through, he is a busted flush in lots of ways. He's gotta get that through."
"Hollande backed off very largely, Macron's gotta stick with it."
During the electoral campaign, then-candidate Macron pledged to renovate current labour laws to kick-start the revitalisation of the French economy.
At the moment, France's labour law comprises 3,324 pages regulating all aspects of the work structure from firings to health and security.
Trade unions in the country have been resisting reform of the code for years in fears of a deterioration of workers' rights.
However, Fenby said that since Macron's election the trade union "dynamic" has begun to change.
Politics expert on Macron's internal democracy challenge
"The CFDT, which is much more reformist and willing to talk to Macron, has now more members than the much more hard line CGT."
"There's a general feeling that "yes, we gotta do something at last."
The changes proposed by President Macron would give employers more negotiating powers with workers.
Since his election in May 2017, Macron's popularity dropped 14 points.
Former President François Hollande had tried to reform the labour code but failed due to growing opposition from the trade unions.
In 2016, France saw nearly two months of uninterrupted mass street protests against Hollande's unpopular proposals to modify the country's rigid labour laws.
A poll published shortly after Macron's election showed that only 49& of the French population supports reforms of the code.
Speaking to Franceinfo, FO union head Jean-Claude Mailly said his group would not join a mass demonstration organised by the CGT for 12 September.
"For the time being, we're not taking part in that because we're still talking. If there is a problem, we'll see at the right time."
