French companies mustn't shift production abroad

PARIS - France's junior minister for employment said Friday a surveillance mechanism is to be put into place to make sure only companies in real financial difficulty shed jobs or move abroad.

Laurent Wauquiez has warned companies not to use the global financial crisis as an excuse to undertake massive layoffs or shift production abroad. He did not provide any details about the mechanism.

Speaking Friday on RTL radio, Wauquiez warned the government was ready to strong-arm the heads of companies who didn't want to play by the rules. However, he acknowledged there is no way under French labor law to prohibit layoffs for companies in financial straights.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.