Guadeloupe negotiations stalled

Negotiations between French mediators and the organisation behind a more than three-week old strike in Guadeloupe have stalled.



The negotiating group, known by the initials LKP, is demanding that the government back up a preliminary accord hammered out with the island\'s employers\' union last weekend.



The deal would have raised the salaries of some 45,000 workers by nearly $300 per month.



However, it fell apart after the employers\' union demanded that the government help defray the extra cost by cutting payroll taxes.



The French government has ruled out any such measure.