France's labor minister tackles minimum wage protests ahead of election

French Labor Minister Sébastien Lecornu is organizing a social conference at Matignon to address widespread protests over purchasing power, with minimum wage increases as the central issue, less than six months before the presidential election. Unions are demanding a raise of 100 to 150 euros net in the minimum wage, while Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou has warned against harming employment, suggesting any increase should reach at least 1,500 euros net, a minimum rise of 22 euros. The government faces limited options to quell a month of street anger, having written to social partners promising responses to concerns, though the conference's outcome remains uncertain.