France’s biggest trade unions set a 10-day deadline today for the government to revoke a divisive jobs law, threatening more protests and strikes that have spiralled into a national crisis.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has been sidelined. President Jacques Chirac has been forced into a subtle switch of loyalties to save face. And the two leaders’ mutual rival, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, is now at centre-stage.

UNION leaders failed in talks yesterday to force French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to withdraw a divisive new jobs law and said they would go ahead with plans for a nationwide strike next week.

Union leaders failed in talks today to force France’s prime minister to withdraw a divisive new jobs law and said they would go ahead with plans for a nationwide strike next week.

The French government and opposition parties were squaring off today on plans to reform the short working week – a pillar of the previous Socialist administration now denounced by critics as economically crippling.

Striking truckers blocked roads in about 20 places across France today after management and two top unions failed to strike a deal in last-ditch pay talks.