Millions of protestors and rioters filled the streets of Paris on Tuesday in response to a new labor contract recently put into motion by the French government.  The First Job Contract (CPE) is deliberately designed to remove job security from workers under the age of 26 during their first two years of employment.  In that time frame, employers can fire young workers without reason or motive, without fear of reprisal.

              As far as the French government is concerned this clause will increase competition in the job-market for a demographic in which 23% are unemployed nationally.  In some immigrant communities unemployment can run as high as 40%.  Though the CPE has yet to be put into law, critics see the contract as a step backward in labor relations. 

              The current labor-agreement, the Contract of Indeterminate Duration (CDI) is designed to give employers a six-month trial period in which to determine an employee’s ability – after which the employer must provide sufficient grounds for giving someone the boot.  There is an obvious cause for concern among French youth when that trial period is extended by eighteen months and they no longer have the right to appeal termination. 

              This problem with security does not only belong to the French youth.  Similar problems can be found right here, what with Social Security crumbling before our very American eyes and tens of thousands of workers being laid off in our very American cities.  I don't have the answer but I do know that tear gas and water cannons will not solve this problem and neither will the riot police aiming and firing them.