France May Be Paralyzed Today

More all-out protest actions against the First Employment Contract (FEC) have been planned for today in France. Authorities admit that the new round of strikes may paralyze the country's economy and create a host of inconveniences for the French themselves.

Employees of transport agencies, telecommunications, power engineering, construction workers, banks, chemical and metallurgical plants, teachers and others are expected to go on strike.

April 4 most newspapers would not go out, and programs of radio and TV broadcasts would be changed. Workers of one of the world's largest news agencies "France Presse" had their strike yesterday, so that they would be able to provide coverage of the news on Tuesday.

The law on the First Employment Contract has officially become effective already, but President Jaques Chirac, who signed it, had promised to make premier Villepin moderate it. According to the present version of the law, any first-employed young man can be sacked within two years of his hire without the employer giving any reason for the sacking.