France has proposed that European trade unions and employers be represented at a special European Union jobs summit to be held in Luxembourg in November, sources close to junior European Affairs Minister Mr Pierre Moscovici said yesterday. They said the minister had raised the idea in talks with his German counterpart, Foreign Ministry Secretary of State Mr Werner Hoyer, in Cologne on Wednesday.
"Moscovici raised the ideas of involving the social partners in the preparation, and indeed of their presence at the summit," one official said.
The sources said Mr Hoyer had responded extremely cautiously, saying it was an interesting idea but he was not empowered to state Germany's position on the proposal.
The Socialist-led French government would like to see the European Trades Union Confederation and the UNICE European employers' federation involved at the summit.
The sources said Paris wanted the one-day meeting to discuss the idea of a reduction in working hours to free up more jobs. Other countries are likely to call for greater labour market flexibility, to which France is hostile. - (Reuter)
