Updated

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu met union and employer federation representatives on Monday to discuss salaries and purchasing power, with a possible minimum wage rise among the options. The meeting came amid weeks of social unrest across France, including strikes and sometimes violent protests. After the talks, Lecornu announced that a planned 1.6% increase in the minimum wage will be brought forward from January to December. The increase falls well short of the demands of unions, which have called for fresh protests in the coming days. France 24 reporter Luke Shrago said the government is constrained by an ongoing budget crisis and that the meeting felt more like an exercise in public relations.