Jospin urges civil servants to accept reforms
PARIS: French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin on Wednesday urged civil servants
to accept reforms after striking state employees forced the government to
withdraw plans to streamline the French treasury and tax collection system.
"They cannot stand aside from general trends," Jospin said during an
interview with RTL radio. "You cannot remain stuck when everyone else is
moving around you."
Jospin's call for movement was directed at all of France's civil servants,
whose powerful unions are major players on the political scene. The remarks
came a day after a key policy statement on pensions, in which the Prime
Minister urged civil service unions to accept a plan to work for 40 years
rather than the current 37.5 years, before qualifying for a full pension.
Jospin said any decision on the proposed change would be taken after
negotiations with the unions. He refused to comment on reports that Finance
Minister Christian Sautter wanted to resign after he was forced to drop his
plans to reform the nation's unwieldy tax collection system. Strikes had
shut down many of the country's tax offices.
"I have no intention of discussing how government jobs are allocated in
public," Jospin said after he was asked whether Sautter and embattled
Education Minister Claude Allegre may be leaving as part of a broader
Cabinet reshuffle.
Jospin defended his government's record since coming to power nearly three
years ago, saying the economy is performing well, unemployment is falling an
d taxes are being cut.
The Prime Minister has recently come under fire from those who say the
Socialist-led coalition government has lost momentum, failing to implement
much-needed economic and social reforms.
In the public sector, employees from teachers to hospital staff have waged
strikes in recent weeks to call for more resources. Teachers have also
called for Allegre's resignation. (AP)
For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
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