Unions and students plan national day of strikes

FRENCH unions and student groups yesterday called a national day of strikes for March 28 to protest a youth jobs plan that has already provoked massive street demonstrations and paralysed many universities.

Unions had set a deadline for Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to withdraw the jobs plan last night or face a possible general strike but he showed few signs of backing down.

At a meeting with student groups, Villepin simply urged more dialogue.

"There are problems and worries being expressed," Villepin said after the meeting, which was boycotted by the largest student group, UNEF. "Let's get together around a table to move forward and find solutions and responses."

The law, passed by parliament this month, is designed to reduce youth unemployment by making it easier for companies to hire and fire, but critics fear it will hurt job security and they have led huge protests to demand the government abandon the plan.

Another day of street protests is planned for Thursday, ahead of the national day of strikes.

French President Jacques Chirac acknowledged yesterday that concerns about the law were legitimate, but said high youth unemployment in France required action.

He made a new appeal for talks between opponents and the government.

"The stakes in the next few days are to open a constructive and conscientious dialogue that could improve" the law, he told reporters after a Paris meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II. Chirac must sign the law for it to take effect as expected next month.