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France up in flames over new job laws
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
>> More pictures, click here >>
France has been going up in flames this week as students have risen up to protest against new laws the French Government wants to bring in. To deal with the unemployment rate of 20% for 18-25 year olds, they're bringing new laws in next month to make it easier for employers to hire young people. Unfortunately, it also makes it easier for them to be sacked. Why? A clause in the bill allows employers to end job contracts for under-26s at any time during a two-year trial period without warning, nor do they have to explain their reasons.
The Government says it will encourage employers to hire young people. French students fear it will just lead to more uncertainty, knowing they could be sacked at any moment. So, they've risen up in protest. And as the pictures show, they're turning nasty. 17 people were injured yesterday, 7 police officers were injured, and over 160 people were arrested. Students want this new law repealed, but Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, showing an arrogance Mr Blair would be proud of, is refusing to budge. >> Details >>
We may knock the French a lot in this country, but at least they're prepared to go out and protest, unlike in Britain where the government does what it wants and to hell with anyone else. That does not excuse the violence, however. And all this happening less than six months after those violent protests about immigration levels. Why are the French people getting so militant all of a sudden?
So, what do you think of the new laws? And on a side note, why are French students so much more ready to rise in protest than British ones?
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aint they always been like that though :eek2:
There's an interesting take on it here.
The whole of the EU in terms of growth performs poorly. The EU creates such enormous redtape and bureaucracy. If the EU were an American state it would be something like the 40th least productive – oh yeah, we’d be up there with the likes of Alabama and Kentucky.
See how many people you can find who would be happy trade with US citizens.
Anyway, no thread too irrelevant to do a bit of EU bashing on eh? Your profound hatred of the EU is quite baffling to be honest...
ho he ho he hoo.
Yes please! The US has lower income tax, lower sales tax, cheaper petrol and a significantly higher GDP per capita...So yeah I would (and will).
It’s hardly baffling. The EU is a corrupt, wasteful and bullying waste of space, there are sound reasons to want out of it that I won’t go into now...
Mind you the way France is looking I don't think under 26's need worry about not having a job, just join the riot police and you'll have a job for life.
So you'd rather it had low wages and no job security?
these poor fuckwits are acting like 5 year olds who have lost a favourite tow and are hoping that mummy will come along and make it all better.
Won't work, it's time for them to grow up and get working. What every single person should have said was "Wow, what a great opportunity!"
Erm where did I say I’d like France to have lower wages? Anyway surely even you Blagsta can understand that in sectors where France is competing against Eastern European countries with far lower wages and far less job security competition is going to be tough...And since Britain and America have less ‘job security’ than France yet significantly lower unemployment I don’t think it’s time to start embracing failed French socialism.
It was implicit in what you wrote.
Yes, I can understand that. All it does is to highlight the problems with capitalism namely putting profits ahead of the needs of ordinary people
Our unemployment is actually quite high. The true numbers however are obscured by schemes like New Deal - anyone on ND is not counted on the unemployment figures. Seeing as ND is compulsory for anyone signing on for longer than 6 months...well, you do the math. We also have very low wages and very high job insecurity - all in pursuit of more profits for the few. That might sound great to you, but to me its pretty shit.
Every government tries to cover up the unemployment figures, but this one has made an art form of it. Those who've been off for several months are signed onto Incapacity Benefit, they don't appear on the unemployed figures. Those on the New Deal, as Blagsta mentioned, they don't appear on the figures either. Neither does anyone who's studying part-time or full-time at university. As always, this government cannot be trusted to reveal the true scale of unemployment. Officially, it went up 14,600 last month, according to figures released on Wednesday. But such statistics are frankly laughable.
Yes and we also have to realise that schools are there to serve the interests of capital.
...yet you still express support for the economic system which is driving all this.
Except of course the French govt also kow tow to Brussel and the needs of international finance. Its just that the French people stick up for themselves so the govt don't get away with as much.
I must admit I don't know a huge amount about what rules the French govt do or don't follow. However, their current attempts to introduce more casualisation in the labour market and the subsequent riots is an example of what I mean.