Macron Meets Trade Unions ‘yellow vests’

Macron Meets Trade Unions ‘yellow vests’

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday met key trade union leaders, businessmen and senior ministers to address rising discontent in the country amid the violent “yellow vests” protests that have challenged his grip on power.

The emergency meeting took place at the Élysée Palace in the morning and saw Macron, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and trade union leaders to attempt to come up with solutions to growing social unrest.

The General Confederation of Labour’s (CGT) Director Phillipe Martínez, who attended the meeting, said in a statement that he would not be used by the government to project an image of dialogue when it wasn’t acknowledging the plight of the people, Efe news reported.

The CGT went on to say that it expected a proposal of specific measures that could be put into place immediately, in particular, a 20 per cent rise of the minimum wage bringing it up to 1,800 euros ($2,052) per annum, a hike in pensions and a “social justice” reform to re-establish a wealth tax.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Mair said that the government rejected a 1.8 per cent minimum wage. The “gilet jaunes” (“yellow vests”) demonstrations started as a protest against plans to hike of fuel taxes but grew into broader anti-government protests over time. (IANS)

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