The Wacky Socialist French Are At It Again
From the AP via CNews:
PARIS (AP) - Postal employees, bus drivers, school teachers and a spectrum of other workers across France stayed off the job Monday to protest the government's decision to scrap an annual holiday.
Under a new law, workers give up a holiday, while their employers pay into a government fund to improve health care for the aged and handicapped. But for the leisure-loving French, the end to a coveted springtime holiday has not gone down well. Transportation in up to 90 cities and towns across France was disrupted.
Did you know that the average work week in France is only 4 days long?
At first, it seemed like a good idea to close ranks with the growing numbers of elderly in France. But with the approach of the now-former holiday, public disgruntlement has swelled.
"On Monday, the government is going to feel the backlash from a totally unilateral measure made against the advice of unions and seen by workers as unjust, ineffective and hypocritical," said Maryse Dumas, the No. 2 official at the Communist-backed CGT union.
What? Communists back the unions? Wow, that sounds like something that was written about here (look at point #36).
Compounding the confusion is a private-sector exemption. Automaker Renault and the bank Societe Generale were giving their employees a day off, while retailer La Redoute was scrapping the holiday. Unions at Air France and France Telecom called on members to strike.
Taxi drivers' unions and a doctors' federation called on their members to apply holiday rates for service on Monday, which will add an extra pinch to clients' pocketbooks.
Doctors billing "Holiday Rates" to protest a measure that puts extra cash in the health care system? That's good humor in a twisted sort of way.
The government expects the extra work day to reap about $2.5 billion US a year in additional revenue for health care.
The health minister says even that is too little.
"The needs are considerable," Philippe Douste-Blazy told Radio-J. "It's really on the scale of closer to $7.5 billion" per year.
Unless we get our own moonbats under control, this is where we'll be headed.
PARIS (AP) - Postal employees, bus drivers, school teachers and a spectrum of other workers across France stayed off the job Monday to protest the government's decision to scrap an annual holiday.
Under a new law, workers give up a holiday, while their employers pay into a government fund to improve health care for the aged and handicapped. But for the leisure-loving French, the end to a coveted springtime holiday has not gone down well. Transportation in up to 90 cities and towns across France was disrupted.
Did you know that the average work week in France is only 4 days long?
At first, it seemed like a good idea to close ranks with the growing numbers of elderly in France. But with the approach of the now-former holiday, public disgruntlement has swelled.
"On Monday, the government is going to feel the backlash from a totally unilateral measure made against the advice of unions and seen by workers as unjust, ineffective and hypocritical," said Maryse Dumas, the No. 2 official at the Communist-backed CGT union.
What? Communists back the unions? Wow, that sounds like something that was written about here (look at point #36).
Compounding the confusion is a private-sector exemption. Automaker Renault and the bank Societe Generale were giving their employees a day off, while retailer La Redoute was scrapping the holiday. Unions at Air France and France Telecom called on members to strike.
Taxi drivers' unions and a doctors' federation called on their members to apply holiday rates for service on Monday, which will add an extra pinch to clients' pocketbooks.
Doctors billing "Holiday Rates" to protest a measure that puts extra cash in the health care system? That's good humor in a twisted sort of way.
The government expects the extra work day to reap about $2.5 billion US a year in additional revenue for health care.
The health minister says even that is too little.
"The needs are considerable," Philippe Douste-Blazy told Radio-J. "It's really on the scale of closer to $7.5 billion" per year.
Unless we get our own moonbats under control, this is where we'll be headed.
posted by Richard at 05:45
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