Domenique de Villepin met representatives of the five major trade-union confederations today at his official residence, the Matignon.
The union federations represented were the CGT, CFDT, FO, CFTC and Cfe-cgc.
Villepin described the meeting as "important" but as only the "first stage" in negotiations towards an agreement. Villepin is now set to meet representatives of the student bodies tomorrow, a meeting that Bernard Thibault, the leader of the CGT union, said was "the only thing that we obtained". He continued, "Domenique de Villepin will soon meet the organizations of young people, high-school students and university students, and it will happen, at our insistence, tomorrow morning".
Meanwhile UNEF, the main student union, and the unions representing secondary-school pupils: UNL and FIDL were again asked about their meeting on Saturday with the Prime Minister. "We're still discussing it, the decision has not been taken ", said Bruno Julliard, UNEF President.
The president of the CE, (Confédération étudiante), Julie Coudry, announced that it declined the invitation of Domenique de Villepin. "Today, the conditions have not been met for a meeting which would make it possible to lead to the withdrawal of the CPE", she explained.
Meanwhile, UNEF and the high-school pupils unions today boycotted the meeting with the Minister for Education, Gilles de Robien, refusing to "be treated like children".
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