French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin offered mutinous French scientists an extra three billion euros (S$6.35 billion) in funding on Saturday, in a bid to stave off protest action that could paralyse public research.
Internationally renowned scientists are among laboratory heads threatening resignation by tomorrow if the government does not promise adequate funding to restore scientific priorities and curb a crippling brain drain.
 In addition, 13 labour unions in the research and higher teaching fields have appealed for a one-day sympathy strike on Tuesday.
Mr Raffarin responded on Saturday by saying: ‘The government is ready to assume its responsibilities’ to promote dialogue and ‘take the high road out of this crisis’.
‘The centre-right government would find the resources to reach 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) spending for public-sector research by 2010… which would represent a national effort of at least three billion additional euros by the end of this legislature in 2007,’ he said.
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