French labor unions are preparing themselves for disappointment ahead of the unveiling of President Emmanuel Macron's plan to overhaul French labor laws. The new plan, part of an effort by Macron to stimulate France's economy within the EU, is the result of many months of discussions with labor leaders and French companies. It's expected that the new plan will ease the ability of companies to illegally fire employees by limiting workers' severance compensation, as well as enabling businesses to ignore rules regarding overtime pay. Similar changes to labor law have been made in Spain, resulting in a dramatic drop in unemployment, but also an increase in the number of workers relying on temporary jobs to make ends meet. Unions are expected to protest the changes when they are announced later this week.
See "French Unions Fret as Macron Readies Promised Labor-Law Upheaval", Angeline Benoit, Bloomberg, August 21, 2017