Chirac's plea amid student protests

French President Jacques Chirac today sought to calm violent student protests over the government’s youth jobs plan, urging new dialogue between ministers and labour leaders.

Unions immediately rejected the proposal, sticking to their demands that the government first suspend the “new job contract” before heading to the negotiating table.

“I want this dialogue to begin,” Chirac said at a Cabinet meeting, according to government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope. The French leader acknowledged many “questions and fears” about the contract, but said it was needed to “break the vicious circle” of job insecurity in France.

Today, about 50 students protesting the measure briefly stormed the regional offices of Chirac’s ruling conservative party in the south-west city of Bordeaux, before leaving calmly as police arrived.

In a third day of clashes in Paris since Saturday, youths hurled stones, bottles and metal barricades at police. Officers responded with charges and tear gas in the skirmishes near Paris’s Sorbonne University.

Nine police officers were injured and at least nine people arrested after the five-hour confrontation, which came at the end of a march by about 4,000 students and other demonstrators.

Angry students also forced the closure of at least 15 of France’s 84 state universities, while classes were partially disrupted at 35 others, the education ministry said.

The jobs plan, which passed parliament last week and is expected to become effective in April, would make it easier for companies to hire and fire young workers during the first two years of employment.

Students were planning new marches on Thursday, and labour unions were expecting to take part in yet another protest on Saturday.