January 18, 2005
This time of the year... again
UPDATE #4: The strike at the post office today was apparently relatively poorly followed. They're announcing a harsher strike in the railway sector, starting tonight.
UPDATE #3: Hervé reminds me that still according to Le Point, there are in France "more than 6 work struggles daily, that is nearly 400 wage earners that stop working every day. Demonstrations? We only have Parisian figures. Thus, the capital benefits from 4 demonstrations everyday, compared to 3 official ceremonies".
UPDATE #2: More to come on February 5. To defend "the 35-hour week, the labor code [meaning the right to strike] and the purchasing power in both the public and the private sector". Let's just hope they won't decide to faire le pont. Un grrrrrand pont.
UPDATE #1: In greater Paris, it has just started to snow. Hard. Ideal weather for a railway strike.
If there is a time at all. Rather anytime. Again. Strikes.
[Emphasis mine]
France is bracing for three days of strikes expected to cause widespread disruption across the public sector.Postal staff on Tuesday will be followed by rail and electricity workers on Wednesday and teachers and other civil servants on Thursday.
Postal staff kick off the action on a day when parliament starts debate on a bill to open the state-owned service to competition in line with European directives.
On Wednesday, there will be widespread cancellations on the railway system with commuters into Paris hard hit as ever.
And on Thursday, teachers will lead off a day of strikes by millions of government employees in pursuit of pay rises.
French unions, who are as powerful in the state sector as they are weak in the private, say that the mood of the public is shifting against the government's policies of economic liberalisation, however cautious these may be.
And they point to an opinion poll showing that 65% of people support the protest movement.
There is truly nothing to expect from this country. Nothing.
Junior doctors led the way and today postal workers will be on strike. Rail travel will be hit tomorrow and other health staff, power workers, teachers and civil servants will join in the action as the week progresses.Grievances over pay, job cuts, privatisation and, in the case of rail unions, the government's desire for an agreement or a law to guarantee skeleton services during industrial action have provoked the latest strikes. . . the unions also oppose plans to modify the 35-hour week introduced by the last socialist government but regarded by industry and the Right as economically disastrous.
And 65% of the French support that. Meanwhile a recent special issue of Le Point, dedicated to describing the Frenchman in details, pointed out that "people working in the private sector earned in average €58.50 a day, after tax, in 2002" while those "working in the public services were paid in average €66.60 a day, after tax, in 2002."
Want to see what a French public strike looks like in Paris? Must be grim and serious, right? Well... no, no. Rather an occasion to have fun.
Funny slogans: "Never work!!"
A LOT of red flags
Funny stickers: "Yes to the raise of my wages - Solidarity - Sud Rail" [you read it right, in French it implies that each one of them striking has several wages - Sud Rail, very powerful and far-left union, is calling for an unlimited strike]
Demonstrators in commie red buying beer by the dozen
Merguez
Smoke
And sympathizing Frenchmen
Scr*w the people who dare tell them they want and wil try to go to work.
Posted by Carine at January 18, 2005 09:27 AMSocialism is a mental disease... And can you believe that a whole country is that sick? Actually it is. May I remind you that 65% French support this strike, and 75% say they are ready to demonstrate for their wage(s)?
Posted by: ashamed-frenchman at January 18, 2005 10:59 AMWhy don't they just call it a winter festival, and set up a yearly date - an accomodating sheep-like public is sure to accept that...
Posted by: Joe N. at January 18, 2005 01:44 PMJoe,
Should we know in advance, it would spoil all their fun. We could prepare.
As hard as it may be for human beings to understand those people, the goal is to paralyze France.
Posted by: Carine at January 18, 2005 02:48 PM"Demonstrators in commie red buying beer by the dozen." (I think I know another faction who is going to be paralyzed.)
In commie red buyting beer, why does this bring the wonderful and much-missed Communists for Kerry to mind?
Mesdames et Messieurs, you have my sympathy for dwelling in a country populared by self-centered babies.
Indeed - but their "scheduled ourage" - it's just so predictable, institutionalized, so Kabuki-like...
They might as well have "May Day" every other thursday and paralyze society in teh interest of the proletariat!
Property is THEFT (thrust finger into air)!
Unless I can strike, and take some of yours' away, of course.
As a casual (uninformed) observer, it appears from across the ocean that striking is something of a national past time in France. I always look forward to the antics of the farmers myself. They seem to be quite passionate about the issues - blocking roads with their tractors, throwing cabbages, and so on.
I wonder what would happen if the the government made striking part of the job, to be fullfilled once each year at a specified date. Would there be another strike to protest the requirement to strike? Just wondering.
Joe,
Indeed. Actually, at my train station, they have a special, yellow poster that they display with the time of the same 15 or so trains a day running during a strike. Same old poster.
Southpaw,
I think you're twice right: national past time and they would also probably strike to protest a requirement to strike. The period requiring them to strike would probably be too short ;)
Posted by: Carine at January 18, 2005 07:39 PMDo you think one of these days they will be on strike to require the Weaselistan Holy Welfare State raises a new tax for "auto-strike", so they could stay at home, because it's so exhausting to demonstrate in the streets? Thus, the an apointee-to-strike comrade would only have to press a button and the Holy Welfare State starts an auto-strike...
Ahem... The problem is that the apointee-to-strike comrade would be very exhausted of having to press a button, so he'll have to start a strike to call for an "auto-start a auto-strike" tax and comitee, or an "schedule an auto-strike" State plan...
Gees! French society is something complicated...
I find it encouraging that France self-paralizes. It's just so annoying when they want us to do it.
But the bright side is your not going to become a counter weight to the US that way.
Beers by the dozen.... hmph... those peasants.
Better to drink the Icelandic "Black Death", I think...
Posted by: Joe N. at January 19, 2005 01:30 PMFYI: I voted against the strike before I voted for it. And it's all W's fault.
Posted by: Valerie at January 19, 2005 09:16 PM Ouuuiiiinnn Ooooouuuuuuiiiiiiiinnnnnn zveu ma maman dans ce ^pays c tous dé méchant zocialist qui fon rien ke m'embeter émeme ki son tout le tem en graive
OOOOUuuuuuiiinnnnnn ooooouuuuuiiiiinnn méchant franzais pas zentils.
Mr./Ms. Ben,
Since you can't write French correctly, I suppose it would be too much to ask that you write in English. Well, I'm asking for a LOT. After all, it's already impressive that a, what? five, six year-old? can type on a keyboard.
I noticed the predominant use of the Z in the pronunciation though. Getting ready for the next German invasion? You know, I doubt it will come from there this time.
Now you go back to see your mummy and ask for your pacifier. This is not a blog for 5 year-old socialist babies without a head (I know, I'm being redundant).
Posted by: Carine at January 22, 2005 10:36 AM"After all, it's already impressive that a, what? five, six year-old? can type on a keyboard."
Nau ayam just a 4 yairs auld jerman/frensh baybi and iou kan watsh vat ayam perfecteli blingue end veri claiver for mai aige.
End i lauve iou, bicose iou cik ass of bad socialist pipole in frence end I leik vatend iou are vairi funi.
i want a women laike iou
Fank iou vairi mushe
That's could be a good idea for you and me :)
Posted by: ben at January 22, 2005 07:38 PMSorry 2nd try
That's could be a good idea for you and me :)
Posted by: ben at January 22, 2005 07:43 PMBen,
Now stop spamming us, it's time to go to bed for you.
Posted by: Carine at January 22, 2005 07:48 PMI like when a women resist me
Good nght
