A call in France to end 35-hour work week

PARIS, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The mayor of a Parisian suburb, a potential presidential candidate, has called for an end of the 35-hour work week in France.

Manuel Valls, mayor of Every, is pushing for the change so French workers can "Work more in order to work better," France 24 reported Tuesday.

In a radio interview, Valls, seen as a strong contender in the race to serve as presidential candidate for the Socialist Party, said in a radio interview: "The world is changing fast, and it is the responsibility of the left to reconcile the French with this need to change. The 35-hour rule affects this country's competitiveness and it needs to go."

The law dates back to the early 1990s, introduced to prod employers into hiring more workers, as those on the payroll would hit mandatory overtime rates sooner.

  Economist Xavier Timbeau credits the policy with the creation of 350,000 jobs from 1997 to 2002.