HP must pay!

When a company downsizes in the United States, the usual reaction is to move on, or at least focus on improving competitiveness. When jobs are slashed in France, however, government inquiries and protectionism are the first responses:

French president Jacques Chirac has suggested a US company should be referred to Brussels for a probe into its plan to cut 5,900 jobs in Europe by 2008.

Mr Chirac has instructed his ministers to prepare an appropriate response to Hewlett-Packard's plan and make sure the company shows "full respect" for labour laws in France, where over 1,000 jobs are to be cut.

"Given the reach of the plan across Europe, he [the president] also asked the government to [refer it to] the European Commission", the AFP news agency quoted a person close to Mr Chirac as saying on Tuesday (20 September).