News » basis. This exemption has been invoked in law suits by non-athlete

The chances of nationwide strike action bringing France to a standstill during Euro 2016 have increased as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets and workers downed tools across the country. Workers at oil refineries, nuclear power plants and railways went on strike on Thursday afternoon.The countrys biggest union, the CGT, continues to increase pressure on the government to abandon controversial labour law reforms. In recent weeks, more than 1,300 arrests have been made, and more than 350 police and protesters have been hurt as protest have turned violent.The head of the CGT union, Philippe Martinez, asked if his union was willing to disrupt Euro 2016, said: The government has the time to say lets stop the clock and everything will be ok.Jean-Claude Mailly, leader of the smaller Workers Force union that is also protesting, said: In football speak, its time the Prime Minister took the red card back. Also See: Euro 2016 Fixtures Latest video Tables Patric Hornqvist Jersey .com) - Rakeem Christmas scored 21 points, B. Paul Coffey Penguins Jersey . This game was inside. Adrian Peterson was missing. The stage was set for another step toward the playoffs. http://www.penguinsauthenticofficial.com/joe-mullen-jersey/ .com) - Patrick Reed poured in a 19-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Monday to defeat Jimmy Walker and win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Paul Martin Jersey . However, it wasnt a problem on Monday night. Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves for his 56th career shutout in the New York Islanders 3-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night. Sidney Crosby Jersey . Ricciardos exclusion from the results tarnished what had been a day of celebration for local fans, who were jubilant that the Red Bull driver had apparently become the first Australian to finish on the podium at his home race. However just before midnight, stewards ruled that Ricciardos car had "exceeded consistently the maximum allowed fuel flow" and that the team refused an instruction from the races technical delegate Charlie Whiting to change the fuel-flow sensor before the race and a further request during the race to reduce the fuel flow.The Ontario government will decide within a few weeks whether to form a task force to examine working conditions for players in the Ontario Hockey League, said the president of Canadas largest private-sector union. Jerry Dias, the president of Unifor, met for an hour on Tuesday afternoon at Queens Park with the provincial labour and sports ministers. Dias called the talks "extremely positive" and said he pressed his argument that junior hockey has flourished as an industry and its players deserve to share a bigger piece of the profits. Dias said Unifor is involved with the effort partially because it would help its public image. He said the union would work pro bono for players or charge them a symbolic fee, perhaps $1 per month. Canadian Hockey League commissioner David Branch has said players dont receive more than modest stipends because they are considered student athletes. Many of the 1,300 mostly-teenaged players in the CHL qualify for educational scholarship packages, he said. Branch did not immediately respond to phone or text messages. Also Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania governors office said the states labour laws offer an exemption from minimum wage laws for employees who work in entertainment and recreational jobs. "We are unaware of any authority specifically applyinng the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act to athletes," said Sara Goulet, the spokeswoman.dddddddddddd "However, even if they could be viewed as employees, both state and federal law contains minimum wage/overtime exemptions for public amusement and recreational establishments that operate on a seasonal basis. This exemption has been invoked in law suits by non-athlete employees against professional sports teams, with varying results depending on the teams length of operations and revenues during the course of the year." Still, Goulet said players for the Eric Otters - the only CHL team in her state - may qualify as child labour. If they do, a number of different statutes might apply to their employment. Award-winning journalist Rick Westhead is TSNs Senior Correspondent for TSNs platforms - TSN, TSN Radio, TSN.ca and TSN GO. He has covered a wide variety of sports issues for a slate of leading publications, among them the Toronto Star, Bloomberg News, Canadian Press, Globe and Mail, New York Times, and Saturday Night Magazine. Earlier this year, Westhead was part of a team that won the prestigious Project of the Year at the National Newspaper Awards. He was also honoured with the Toronto Stars Reporter of the Year Award in 2007. Share your comments with Rick Westhead on Twitter at @rwesthead. ' ' '