TRADE UNIONS protested in Paris yesterday as President Emmanuel Macron unveiled his new labour “reforms,” which would make it easier for bosses to hire and fire.

Mr Macron wants parliament to vote on the new legislation — the third attack on workers’ rights in the past few years — without a chance to amend it.

Justifying the new measures, Mr Macron said: “We are the only major economy of the European Union which hasn't vanquished mass unemployment in more than three decades."

France has an unemployment rate of 9.5 per cent which the president has vowed to cut to 7 per cent by 2022. The country’s 3,000-page labour code is seen by the neoliberal leader as the major cause of joblessness in France, although other large European countries such as Italy and Spain have higher unemployment and the eurozone average is 9.1 per cent.

Hundreds attended a protest called by union federations CGT and Solidaires, Right to Housing and Attac France in the Parisian suburb of Jouy-en-Josas against the reforms.

The CGT led last year’s campaign of strikes and protests against the “El Khomri law” — passed by former president Francois Hollande under emergency laws after parliament rejected it twice.

“Mr Macron represents the big bosses, and those who want to cut public services, social protection and everything achieved by workers,” one protester said.

“It is about ideology,” another insisted. “To be able to sack workers more easily and stop work.

“In fact, he wants to get rid of employee protections altogether. It is a big attack of the hierarchy. Corporate deals will now take over.”

The unions have called for mass demonstrations against the new law on September 12, but two of France’s biggest unions, the Force Ouvriere (FO) and CFDT, have said they will not take part.

New left France Unbowed party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has called a further protest on September 23.

The reforms announced by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe yesterday include five core measures which he claims would “make up for lost years, missed opportunities.”

One allows employers to exclude unions when negotiating redundancies with staff.

Another puts a limit on compensation for unfair dismissal based on time served. The maximum will be 20 months’ salary after 29 years of employment.

The legislation would apparently also allow small and medium enterprises to negotiate outside of industry-wide collective bargaining agreements.

Forms with fewer than 50 employees can negotiate terms with an elected representative, while those with fewer than 20 can talk directly to staff.

Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud said the reforms aim not just to change the rules but “to change the behaviour of social dialogue in our country.”