Paris - France's angry unemployed said yesterday their protest movement was expanding and urged students and workers to join them in a new national day of demonstrations on Saturday. "The movement absolutely must continue, confronted by the arrogance of the employers, the silence of UNEDIC [the unemployment insurance agency] and the purely political attitude of the government," said Mr Hubert Constancias of the pressure group for the unemployed, the MNCP.
The unemployment groups told a news conference their supporters planned demonstrations in 77 of France's 95 regions on Saturday in what they hoped would be a further escalation of their campaign for higher benefits for France's 3.1 million unemployed.
The protests, organised in part by the Communist-led CGT trade union, have divided the left-wing coalition of the socialist Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, and could shatter his popular support if they expand into a broad movement.