Jordan Times:
The two pillars of French economic reform
19 September 2017
Article by Philippe Aghion and Benedicte Berner
The French government has just announced the guidelines for a new labour code, its first major reform to boost France’s economy by giving more flexibility to companies to adapt to the marketplace.
The second major reform sought by President Emmanuel Macron’s Cabinet — an overhaul of the French state — is set to follow. The changes to the labour code have four goals. First, direct negotiations between employers and employees in small and medium-size firms (accounting for 55 per cent of the workforce) would be facilitated by allowing such companies to negotiate with elected representatives not mandated by the trade unions.