Thousands protest longer French working hours

Reuters ^ | 02/05/05

[nypokerface]

PARIS (Reuters) - Thousands of French workers, unhappy with government plans to make them work longer hours without the guarantee of more pay, have launched nationwide protests vowing to resist the reforms.

About 12,000 demonstrators shrugged off freezing temperatures and took to the streets of the southwestern city of Toulouse to defend their prized 35-hour work week, according to the police on Saturday. Organisers said more than 20,000 people turned out.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's conservatives say rules governing the work week must be relaxed to help cut unemployment, currently close to 10 percent, and make the world's fifth largest economy more competitive.

Four of France's five major unions have called for nationwide protests, saying the reform backed by President Jacques Chirac, would sound the death knell of the 35-hour week and force workers to put in extra hours without extra pay.

"Chirac, Raffarin, are you sleeping? Your workers are in the street," chanted demonstrators in Toulouse.

Deputies from the opposition Socialist Party also defended the 35-hour week, which was introduced in 1998 under a Socialist-led government.

Raffarin is wary of large public protests after voters punished his government for unpopular economic cutbacks in regional and European Parliament elections last year.

Although no elections are due before 2007, the cash-strapped government is concerned French voters could express their anger over reforms when they vote in a referendum on the European Union constitution before the summer.

Both Raffarin and Chirac have urged voters to approve the treaty on its merits and not allow themselves to be sidetracked by domestic political issues.

A recent poll showed some 77 percent of workers surveyed wanted to keep their working week at the current level. Only 18 percent wanted to work longer hours.

The proposed reform would allow workers to put in more than 35 hours a week in return for more pay if they reach a collective accord with their management. They could work up to 48 hours a week, the maximum allowed under EU regulations.

Unions argue that many firms' parlous financial situation will prevent them from letting employees work overtime for more money and that company bosses could force staff against their will to work extra hours without extra pay.

[nypokerface]

I guess they need this time off to do more protesting.

[mad_as_he$$]

Yup working from 10am to 11 am is a real bit@h!

[Jazzman1]

Just another example of the liberal socialists living in a DREAM WORLD OF entitlement!

[Mr. Mojo]

The Frog gov't will no doubt surrender to their demands.

[Arpege92]

And they call Americans fat and lazy! LOL

[ken21]

hasn't dawned on the french yet that all of us in the industrialized world are now by means of the information revolution, in competition with each other and the developing countries.

the chinese, for example, graduate multiples of the number of engineers as we do.

the key issue is ~~~ european leftism and american unionism vs. the new information economy. the old socialist rules get in the way of the new economy.

oui, oui!

[AQGeiger]

About 12,000 demonstrators shrugged off freezing temperatures and took to the streets of the southwestern city of Toulouse to defend their prized 35-hour work week, according to the police on Saturday. Organisers said more than 20,000 people turned out.

If only they had such motivation to do their jobs, the French economy might not be as it is right now.

[Kurt_D]

Maybe we should change the title to... Thousands protest deregulation and economic growth

These Frenchies are complete idiots.

[AZFolks]

France unemployment above 10%, Germany above 11%. However never is it stated, even by the guys on our side, that this is the result of all the entitlements the left wants.

[EagleUSA]

France unemployment above 10%, Germany above 11%. However never is it stated, even by the guys on our side, that this is the result of all the entitlements the left wants.
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Isn't SOCIALISM beautiful ???

[Doohickey]

Wonder if they took time off work to do that?

[austinaero]

This line kills me....

"rules governing the work week must be relaxed to help cut unemployment"

What does THAT mean,,,that more people would choose to work if they had to work less? I'm a wee bit confused.

This article actually makes me laugh and shake my head.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

And they call Americans fat and lazy! LOL

We may be fat but lazy we are not.

Average hours worked per week

The US 46.3 hours

The UK 43.5 hours

French 38.3 hours

[Kurt_D]

And here's the sick logic of French and German pseudo-economists... by forcing a reduction of working hours corporation will hire more people. Now here's the catch: People work LESS, but they still make the same money (salary-based). So if the affected companies hire more people, then labor costs skyrocket and profit drops big time. In this scenario there's no room for reinvestments, capital gains and expenditures, dividends, etc. These pseudo-economists perceive profit as being something inherently evil. In other words, a business-owner doesn't work for himself, but for the "benefit of society". Are we surprised then, that these companies outsource or move entirely abroad? The consequence of outsourcing, scarce business starts and weak capital expenditure is a general increase in unemployment in the private sector. In order to reduce unemployment, these Liberal/Socialist pseudo-economist extend the public sector. Anyway, I am preaching to the choir anyway. ;)

[Lokibob]

I don't understand the unemployment rate.

If your workers will only work 35 hours, do you, as a business owner, hire more workers? I would.

[bahblahbah]

Yes, I think part of the reason they lowered the job week to 35 hours was to lower their unemployment rate.

[somniferum]

The proposed reform would allow workers to put in more than 35 hours a week in return for more pay if they reach a collective accord with their management. They could work up to 48 hours a week, the maximum allowed under EU regulations.

And these bozos think the EU will overtake the US economically? BWAHAHAHA

[Earthdweller]

""Chirac, Raffarin, are you sleeping? Your workers are in the street," chanted demonstrators in Toulouse."

No they are not sleeping they are cowering in a corner regretting their poor management of the country.(sarcasm)

Actually they are busy plotting what small children they can starve for money next to keep all frenchmen from working one extra hour a day.

[Mad Mammoth]

I don't understand the unemployment rate. If your workers will only work 35 hours, do you, as a business owner, hire more workers? I would.

EXACTLY!

You see, if one follows this insane reasoning to it's logical conclusion, you end up with every worker spending no more than 10 to 20 hours a week doing their job. Therefore, it means that employers have to hire TWO people to do ONE job that used to be a true 40 hours a week job. The unions step in and demand full wages as if each worker was doing a full time job (when in fact they are only part-time or casual), and it costs twice as much for employers to maintain their workforce, but it allows the socialists to claim that they have 'achieved full employment', which is actually illusory.

When the inevitable crash occurs (when employers go bankrupt), the unions will claim they can't cover the losses, and everybody turns to the government to bail them out. How does the government bail them out?

By raising taxes to find the revenue, printing more money and devaluing the currency, or turning to any number of world monetary organizations like the IMF, World Bank, etc., for a global handout.

Hey, it's the Euro-weenie Way!

And WE (and Blair!) should beware!

[NationSoConceived]

I don't understand the unemployment rate.

If your workers will only work 35 hours, do you, as a business owner, hire more workers? I would.


Yes, I think part of the reason they lowered the job week to 35 hours was to lower their unemployment rate.

While they did lower the hours, they didn't proportionately lower the pay. So, while an employer needs more emplyees to get the work done, he cannot afford to hire them, because he is still paying for work not done.