La France Fait Marche Arrière!

[Vaughan]

For those of you wondering what on Earth is going on in France right now, I thought I might at least try to explain it.

The 35 hour week has been in force for at least 15 years now and for the unions this has become one of the tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain.

You can work more than 35 hours in a week, up to 45, but this must be recuperated by reducing the following week. You can add up your extra hours and take them all off at the end of the fiscal year, but this must be by agreement with a company's workforce. This could result in men taking about 3 weeks off, as well as 5 weeks annual holiday, all just before the 1st April. Imagine that on a hire boatyard!

Staff working Sundays or public holidays get double time off. In May there are 5 public holidays, so when these fall on a boat turnround day, you pretty well lose your staff for the rest of the week. There is no such thing as casual labour so all Saturday cleaners, etc, must be fully declared. This causes a large use of zero-hour contracts with agencies. You cannot pay overtime, as the theory is that if you need to work overtime, you need more staff. This is supposed to create more jobs, but of course, it doesn't. It is also impossible to lay off staff once you have given them a full-time contract.

So it is pretty well impossible to run a commercial business, especially in tourism, under these conditions and no surprise that the government have at last decided to modify the rules.

Other thing to realise is that in this country, if you block the Queen's highway, you get arrested, but not in France! The slightest bit of union trouble and they all go and sit on the motorway outside Paris, while the police calmly look on and do nothing. They will only intervene if there is actual violence. The enforced re-opening of the refinery at Fos, by the police, is therefore seen by the public as a serious step against democracy.

I came back from the south of France during Monday and Tuesday and only just made it. Almost all service stations and supermarkets were already dry by Tuesday and you can only rely on fuel (for the moment) on a motorway.

I came through Dieppe, which was not blockaded, but Brittany Ferries and DFDS are French ships, so they will also soon run out of diesel, if they do not themselves go on strike. The railways are now also on strike (when are they not?) and airlines are cancelling some flights, to places where they cannot re-fuel.

For France this is a very serious and fundamental problem which will not be resolved quickly. I cannot recommend travelling there for perhaps several weeks to come.

[BroadScot]

Thank you Vaughan for the update. It does sound rather complicated. Perhaps a Philadelphia lawyer could sort it all out ?

Seriously, not good for the holiday trade. Also, those wishing to drive to Monaco for the Grand Prix.

Iain

[Polly]

Nope according to this morning's Le Figaro, the government ain't backing down because political reputations are at stake, nothing more important than that after all!  

This row has been rumbling for a very long time, and with 25% youth unemployment the students are on the case as well as the workers. 

As employers I can see where you are coming from too.

My favourite bit of French strike action was at a toll on the motorway; all the booths were functioning except the one we went to. A hand made sign proclaimed that the operator was on strike. He was happy to let us through, and since I had 40 kids with me this was a relief, but was taking no money. 

 

[JennyMorgan]

Best stick to holidaying on the Broads then.

[Liberty]

The tendency to walk out on strike at the drop of a hat was one of the reasons we moved back to England.  

Driving around Nice in the late 90's, there were lorry loads of post and parcels which had been dumped by the side of the motorway, blowing around.  

Militant lot.  I know - I married one 

[JawsOrca]

Certainly a good reason for staycations and visit the broads!

I'm sure they will give up once it starts affecting them personally. 

Good luck to yourself Vaughan and others caught up out there, fingers crossed it's over soon.

[grendel]

I have noticed a trend with strikes in France, they always seem to occur in the weeks leading up to or after a national holiday (or big sporting event). we also noticed that when the French ferry workers went on strike, they went back to work at weekends when the overtime was being paid.

[ChrisB]

Do they still use "Le Pont" ? If a national holiday fell say on a Sunday you did not get Monday off in lieu, instead if a holiday fell on  a Thursday you did'nt do Friday or if a Tuesday you don't bother with Monday.

[Wussername]

9 hours ago, Vaughan said:

For those of you wondering what on Earth is going on in France right now, I thought I might at least try to explain it.

The 35 hour week has been in force for at least 15 years now and for the unions this has become one of the tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain.

You can work more than 35 hours in a week, up to 45, but this must be recuperated by reducing the following week. You can add up your extra hours and take them all off at the end of the fiscal year, but this must be by agreement with a company's workforce. This could result in men taking about 3 weeks off, as well as 5 weeks annual holiday, all just before the 1st April. Imagine that on a hire boatyard!

Staff working Sundays or public holidays get double time off. In May there are 5 public holidays, so when these fall on a boat turnround day, you pretty well lose your staff for the rest of the week. There is no such thing as casual labour so all Saturday cleaners, etc, must be fully declared. This causes a large use of zero-hour contracts with agencies. You cannot pay overtime, as the theory is that if you need to work overtime, you need more staff. This is supposed to create more jobs, but of course, it doesn't. It is also impossible to lay off staff once you have given them a full-time contract.

So it is pretty well impossible to run a commercial business, especially in tourism, under these conditions and no surprise that the government have at last decided to modify the rules.

Other thing to realise is that in this country, if you block the Queen's highway, you get arrested, but not in France! The slightest bit of union trouble and they all go and sit on the motorway outside Paris, while the police calmly look on and do nothing. They will only intervene if there is actual violence. The enforced re-opening of the refinery at Fos, by the police, is therefore seen by the public as a serious step against democracy.

I came back from the south of France during Monday and Tuesday and only just made it. Almost all service stations and supermarkets were already dry by Tuesday and you can only rely on fuel (for the moment) on a motorway.

I came through Dieppe, which was not blockaded, but Brittany Ferries and DFDS are French ships, so they will also soon run out of diesel, if they do not themselves go on strike. The railways are now also on strike (when are they not?) and airlines are cancelling some flights, to places where they cannot re-fuel.

For France this is a very serious and fundamental problem which will not be resolved quickly. I cannot recommend travelling there for perhaps several weeks to come.

I suppose that we face being stuck with you for some time then.:-)

Good news for the Buck 

Andrew

[RobRiley]

I lived in France, Spain, and Italy, for quite a long time, I must admit, when they go for it, they do it in a way that causes as much chaos and hardship as possible, as much for themselves as for anyone else.

I believe it's called 'cutting your nose off, to spite your face'

[VetChugger]

"I believe it's called 'cutting your nose off, to spite your face"

I suspect that it would be more accurate to suggest that its rather effective industrial action!

[ChrisB]

One must remember that modern France (and that the French are very proud of their history) was born of direct action. 

Direct action that makes our years of Cromwell and civil war look like a bit of a picnic in he park.

I was in France in 68, and yes revolution is in their very being.

[Polly]

Aux armes citoyens!

[Vaughan]

17 hours ago, ChrisB said:

Do they still use "Le Pont" ? If a national holiday fell say on a Sunday you did not get Monday off in lieu, instead if a holiday fell on  a Thursday you did'nt do Friday or if a Tuesday you don't bother with Monday.

Yes they still "fait le pont" or "make a bridge" between a public holiday and the weekend adjacent, but this extra day comes off the annual holiday and is usually only by agreement with the whole workforce.

I can't say I agree with the French way of doing business as it is certainly not commercial and the workers can't see that it actually does not protect them - quite the contrary, as employers now hesitate before taking on more staff. 35 hours does not create employment, it just makes companies economise and drop standards of service, especially in tourism, which is a service business. All the same, these practices are deeply embedded in a very socialist culture and after a few years, you just get used to working within these constraints.

I will say one thing for them - when they are at work, they work well.

As for Wussername's remarks, that will cost him a pint.

In the Buck.

Hopefully this weekend!

 

[BroadScot]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

As for Wussername's remarks, that will cost him a pint.

Just the one ? 

[Wussername]

6 hours ago, BroadScot said:

Just the one ? 

Well might be two. Sometimes the meetings go on and on.

Sometimes we have a meeting to discuss the next meeting. A meetings meeting to discuss future meetings which embrace the Grand Meeting of meetings , the meet of meetings.

Everybody welcome. Wear what you like there is only him and me.

Andrew