Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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French trade unions fight EU attacks on workers’ rights
The labour movement is mounting fierce opposition to the ‘El Khomri’ law, which was forced through parliament without a vote last week, writes ALEX GORDON
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
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LAST week France’s Socialist government issued an emergency decree to weaken workers’ rights at the behest of the European Commission.
Last Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls imposed the hated “El Khomri” law — named after Minister of Labour Myriam El Khomri — using an emergency constitutional mechanism (Article 49.3) to prevent a debate or vote that his government would lose in the French parliament.
Fierce opposition to the El Khomri law from trade unions, young people, the left and from within President Hollande’s own Socialist Party has led to weeks of strikes, street protests and demonstrations across France.
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