French PM holds 'social conference': just 'an exercise in PR'?

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is to meet unions and employer federation representatives on Monday to discuss salaries and purchasing power, with a possible raise to the minimum wage on the cards. It comes amid a wave of social unrest across France in recent weeks that has seen strikes sometimes violent protests. But, with the government constrained by an ongoing budget crisis, the meeting feels “more like something of an exercise in PR”, says France 24 reporter Luke Shrago.