French job seekers could have access to TF1 and M6 removed if they are not looking for work

The French labour minister has ordered a crackdown to root out those abusing unemployment benefits by having access to TF1 and M6 removed from their channel line up, after it emerged that hundreds of thousands of available jobs remain unfilled in France.

Amid stagnant economic growth and record unemployment, you would be forgiven for thinking paid work was in scarce supply in France.

However, according to the government there are some 350,000 jobs available, but which France's state employment agency Pôle Emploi is having a hard time filling.

As a result Labour Minister François Rebsamen has ordered the leadership of the Pôle Emploi to "reinforce checks" to make sure benefit recipients are in fact "looking for a job," and if it turns out they are not they will have their TV viewing access restricted he told i-Télé on Tuesday.

"It's not acceptable, in a struggling country that wants to recover, to have people not looking for work, where jobs are available," he said, adding he doesn't believe it applies to the majority of job seekers.

"I have plans to come down on benefit scroungers like a ton of bricks."

Under the new measures if someone who is receiving job seekers allowance and it is clear they are not doing enough, they will have their TNT or CanalSat set top box confiscated and replaced with a device to block out TF1 and M6 - obviously France's two most popular TV channels.

Their regular TNT or CanalSat box will be stored in a warehouse for up to 30 days, unless the person finds a job beforehand, whichever comes first.

"If people think they are going to sit around all day watching general entertainment on the taxpayer they can think again." he continued.

Rebsamen's statement caused outrage among human rights activists.

"The words of François Rebsamen are disgraceful and obscene... not to mention a complete breach of our human rights. This leftist government is carrying out rightist policies," French human rights activist, job seekers allowance recipient and a Calais resident who did not wish to be named told i-Télé. "If this happens to me I will be taking the Pôle Emploi to the human rights court in Strasbourg.

"I know it takes months to appeal by which time my access to TF1 and M6 would be returned but that will not be putting me off."

It's not the first time a labour minister has vowed to crackdown on phony job seekers, last year he indeed it has become a habit over recent years, as Europe 1 radio points out.

Earlier this year a new system was trialed in four regions around France, where special agents were employed to track down those who were cheating the system, and give them polite notices asking them to stop it.

It has not been confirmed whether there are plans to roll out the system across France.