French PM holds 'social conference': just 'an exercise in PR'?

So under pressure then from protesters, but with very little financial wiggle room, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attempting today to address the social unrest that has hit France over the last few months. Now, while he has the authority to boost the minimum wage, which is known here as the SMIC, he does not have the power to raise other wages. So today he's meeting with representatives of Labour and management for a social dialogue. Conference. We're going to cross then to talk to our reporter, Luke Schrager, who joins us from Matignon from the prime minister's office there. Luke, then tell us what both sides are hoping to get out of this meeting. Well, with social unrest across France moving into its second month, the government is really seeking to try and firm up its strategy to respond to the crisis. Now, Monday, it's holding what it's calling a social conference here at the Matignon, the prime minister's offices in the centre of Paris between unions and employers. The idea is to provide answers over purchasing power and wages. Now, for the government, it feels a little bit more like something of an exercise in PR more than much else. It's constrained by this ongoing budget crisis. Leaving its hands tied, meaning it can't really offer all that much. Now, negotiations on Monday really focusing around the minimum wage, as you mentioned there, and an increase to about €1,500 per month net. Now, with all of this unrest spreading across France to include wider grievances over the cost of living crisis, unions have said that they are ready to discuss the situation, but that the government needs to prove that it's going to make real efforts. They've said that their concessions so far simply aren't enough unions calling for raised to the minimum wage of between 100 to 150 euros more and criticizing this chasm between what they're seeking and what the government is offering. Now everyone agrees that a solution is needed but the question on Monday is whether or not they're going to be able to find a narrower way to between each side's respective positions. Luke, it's not just that, is it? Le Corneau is also meeting after that with student leaders ahead of a strike in the education service that's planned tomorrow. That's right, Stuart. The students have been fighting very hard in recent weeks for their grievances not to be lost amid this wider-ranging discontent. But they do see that they have the popular support and momentum on their side. The government has already made commitments to the students, such as reforms to the controversial... parkour sup university admissions algorithm with a view to removing it in 2028 establishing a 4 billion euro fund to renovate dilapidated school infrastructure and capping classes But for the students, these are crumbs. They want far more. They've been calling for 10 billion euros across 10 different measures, including a financial injection across the education system, opening 250,000 university places, addressing inequalities and filling thousands of vacant teaching positions. Now, negotiations between students and the government have so far been somewhat fractious, and they intend to make. full use of the public support that they see behind them. They are vowing to continue their movement and have indicated that they're not afraid to walk away from the table and have already been warning of fresh demonstrations set for Tuesday. Luke, thanks very much. Luke Schrager, our reporter, joining us now from Matineau. Thanks very much.