French Lawmakers Fast-Track May 1 Work Bill With Surprise Rejection Vote

Overview

• Lawmakers approved a rare “rejet préalable” on Friday by 120–105 to skip floor debate and send the Labor Day work bill straight to a joint committee, with Renaissance, Les Républicains and the National Rally backing it and the left and MoDem opposed.
• The single-article bill would let employees at nearby food shops, florists and cultural venues work on May 1, while explicitly excluding large-scale retail and DIY chains.
• Only volunteers could be scheduled and pay would be doubled, though unions argue voluntariness often proves illusory, citing how Sunday trading expanded from exception to routine.
• CGT and CFDT led protests near the Assembly and warned of possible Constitutional Court challenges, calling the tactic a “passage en force” and a “coup de poignard” for workers.
• Supporters seek a rapid joint committee to allow application by May 1, and the push follows fines against bakers in 2025 and a campaign by Gabriel Attal that critics say overstated current bans on opening.