THE biggest business leaders in France have turned up the heat on embattled President Francois Hollande with demands for radical reforms just as he heads into crisis talks with the heads of the IMF, WTO and other top economic bodies.
As Hollande launched talks on the eurozone debt crisis and ways to revive growth, the heads of 98 of the biggest French groups on Monday pleaded the case for a 30 billion euro ($A37.79 billion) cut in welfare charges paid by French employers over two years, and massive cuts in public spending.
"With a record public spending of 56 per cent of gross domestic product, we have reached the limit of what is tolerable," said the Afep, which represents more than 90 of France's top companies, in an open letter to the president.
Their onslaught against increases in taxes and charges comes in the midst of growing national controversy of ways to make lagging French industry, with factory closures announced almost every week, competitive in international trade.
But two leading ministers immediately rejected such radical action.
The appeal by big business comes just weeks after small business entrepreneurs forced the government to re-think proposed taxes on the profit of selling a start-up.
France has a huge structural trade deficit.
Hollande, on the ropes in opinion polls, is grappling with pre-election pledges to create jobs and spur growth while applying austerity measures to plug a 37 billion euro hole in public finances.
The pressures closing in on Hollande include sweeping job cuts. Auto group PSA Peugeot Citroen alone has announced the loss of 8000 jobs and the closure of an emblematic plant near Paris. It has just been rescued with a government guarantee of seven billion euros ($A8.82 billion) for its banking and credit arm.
Hollande - whose ratings have dived since he took power in May - meanwhile met World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim, the International Monetary Fund's Christine Lagarde, World Trade Organisation head Pascal Lamy, International Labour Organisation Secretary General Guy Ryder and the OECD's Angel Gurria in Paris.
An official said Hollande had called the meeting "to discuss international economic issues and economic and social recovery ... to spur growth, jobs and competitiveness".
The leaders of the organisations will then go on to Berlin to hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday.
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