In French Labor Overhaul, Union Leader Offers a Way to a Compromise
Scrawled near the entrance was a warning in red paint: “This treason must end!”
The “treason” referred to a contentious decision by Mr. Berger to support revisions to France’s 3,400-page labor
code — a rarity in a country known for stark divisions between union leaders and government officials.
By LIZ ALDERMANJUNE 20, 2017
PARIS — As thousands of workers last summer protested changes to France’s labor laws, Laurent
Berger, the head of one of the country’s most influential unions, got an unsettling call.
Amid Mr. Macron’s rise, Mr. Berger has sometimes painted his union as a moderating
influence in France’s labor movement at a crucial moment for the economy.
“Macron is good at talking to the unions, at giving them something,” said Philippe Aghion, an economics professor at Harvard
and at the prestigious Collège de France who mentored Mr. Macron as a student, and who advises him on labor policy.
Just weeks into his presidency, Mr. Macron has already summoned labor leaders — starting with Mr. Berger — for
marathon sessions to discuss overhaul plans, which will be fast-tracked through executive orders in summer.
