French union warns of discontent at ‘euro pact’

Report of a FT interview with Bernard Thibault, head of the CGT, the biggest trade union in France, April 2011.

He warned European governments that they risked sparking widespread discontent if they pushed ahead with the Franco-German ' Pact for the euro' adopted by eurozone members in March 2011.

European unions would in May 2011 weigh stepping up their protests against the pact, which aims to strengthen economic co-ordination in the eurozone, including proposals on wage restraint and pension policies.

ESO: Background information: EU agrees incomplete financial package http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-agrees-incomplete-financial-package/

ETUC: ETUC Manifesto, April 2011 http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf/Tracte_A4_EN.pdf

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