French PM Lecornu meets unions and employers over cost-of-living unrest

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou, who was expected to attend the talks, has said he would like the minimum wage to exceed 1,500 euros net, provided it does not "harm employment". The CFDT, France's largest union, is calling for a 100 euro net increase, while the hard-left CGT is demanding a 10% rise, equivalent to around 150 euros net.

"The hike can't be 5 euros, the price of a kilo of tomatoes," CGT chief Sophie Binet said on November 9. "Anger won't disappear just because the government has announced a few extra euros for the minimum wage."

Protests began in French high schools in September over underfunded schools but grew into a broader outpouring of anger over living costs, public services and political stagnation, including riots in major cities on October 17 that caught security forces off guard. The government is eager to ease that anger but has little room for manoeuvre because of its mounting debt burden.

The unrest comes five months before France's presidential election. Opinion polls suggest far-right candidate Marine Le Pen will face hard-left rival Jean-Luc Melenchon in a run-off. President Emmanuel Macron, who is completing his second term and whose approval ratings are low in opinion polls, is barred from running again.