[elli1]

Plans for the solidarity fund arose after the brutal heat wave of 2003, when the government decided to sacrifice the Pentecost Monday holiday for the greater good. The holiday, which this year falls on May 16, has effectively been converted into an unpaid working day, with salaries - even from private companies - turned over to the government and channeled into a special fund.

That would be proximately like the US gov't telling all US workers to give up Good Friday holiday, work that day AND turn all the wages for that day over to the US gov't to be channeled into another social program.

I'd suggest that whoever bashes the French on this point should turn in their FR card and march over to DU.

[bfree]

No it isn't the same. They don't work a 40 hour week.