|
Post by Ali on May 24, 2016 18:51:51 GMT 1
The strikes in France (Fuel is being hit at the mo)
Why are there strikes ?
Prime Minister Mr Manuel Valls has proposed what is, for France, a radical change in employment law, which would align the country with the more flexible hiring and firing rules applied in Germany, Britain and Scandinavian countries.
French labour reform bill - main points
- The 35-hour week remains in place, but as an average. Firms can negotiate with local trade unions on more or fewer hours from week to week, up to a maximum of 46 hours
- Firms are given greater freedom to reduce pay
- The law eases conditions for laying off workers, strongly regulated in France. It is hoped companies will take on more people if they know they can shed jobs in case of a downturn
- Employers given more leeway to negotiate holidays and special leave, such as maternity or for getting married. These are currently also heavily regulated.
Far from making employment more “precarious” as critics complain, Mr Valls said the reforms would encourage smaller businesses to offer workers permanent jobs. At present, 90 per cent of jobs created in the private sector are on short-term contracts which offer no guarantees at all, he said.
Hear hear I say. I 'think' I agree with the government for once !
There are basically/fundamentally 2 types of employment contracts here in France. CDD (providing a definitive date when one ceases to be employed - say for example a contract that lasts for 6 months) and a CDI (which is the type us Brits are more used to. A contract with no end date (unless one is shite and breaks contract))
I really don't know the actual figures but in my limited experience there are far more people on CDD (short-term) contracts than CDI (long term) contracts.
Being on a CDD (short-term) contract must be scary for those with families. CDD's often only last for 6 months and it's back on the dole time.
For example. One of the chefs at the restaurant where I work has been on a CDD for 4 years. He's leaving us. Why ? Because he has the opportunity of a CDI with another restaurant. Why don't his current employers offer to him a CDI? Because they are scared. Once a CDI is signed the employer has little movement and little choice. Plus the laws are only just changing so chef may have made the wrong decision .... who knows.....
All said............. I cannot believe these strikes over here in France. Cannot the strikers see that there could be advantages to them if only they could embrace change? Or maybe they are already on CDI's (a unique bunch who wish to preserve their own status).
Hmmmm - note to self - spend time to understand all this more !
Would appreciate your views.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 25, 2016 22:07:29 GMT 1
As I see it French workers are being dragged into the 21st century.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 25, 2016 23:22:23 GMT 1
"The FNSEA , France's main farmers' union, made a request to the government on Wednesday asking to be given priority in receiving fuel supply, in order to protect their trade against the effects of the strikes."
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 7:45:08 GMT 1
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. No, they need the fuel. How else are they going to set fire to old tractor tyres in the middle of the road?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 29, 2016 22:18:18 GMT 1
Just topped up my car today and filled up two 10 litre jerrycans with diesel. No restrictions at all at Leclercs Chateauneuf du Faou. The 2x10 litres were for in case there is another blow up late June when we are heading for the UK via Roscoff.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 30, 2016 10:16:21 GMT 1
Haven't seen this posted anywhere else but it could be useful. If you have visitors coming this summer and knowing how the French love a good, let's annoy the visitors, strike. Ask your visitors what fuel their car or whatever uses and buy in enough fuel to at least get them back to their port. We have done this for our Simone and family and have 20 litres of petrol on one side for their use if necessary.
|
|
|
Post by tomcat333 on May 30, 2016 10:24:18 GMT 1
i read on Friday that the ban on filling fuel cans up had finished for now in Côte d'amour .
|
|
|
Post by Bunty on May 31, 2016 8:19:16 GMT 1
Looks like it could all be kicking off again the end of this week
|
|
|
Post by bisdu on May 31, 2016 18:29:14 GMT 1
Re my trip to Italy and ongoing fuel strike.
Before leaving Brittany we were told by various people, that we would be fine as soon as we got out of Brittany. This was not the case.
As I was concerned that we could not afford a delay (re daughters wedding) we tried everywhere before we left, within reason, to find somewhere to fill cans to take with us ....no one who had any, would oblige with cans, even though I took my tickets etc along, to show that we really did have a long journey and were not just trying to hoard fuel.
Eventually all we could do was to gradually fill up both our vehicles (both fitted with anti siphon tanks) - and take one of them to the garage where the garagist extracted the contents into cans via the fuel pump .
There were garages open on the way down for the first half of the journey but none had diesel, - it was like that until well past Paris with motorway signs saying there was no diesel.- petrol yes. We had to use one of the cans but managed to find a garage after that where we did get fuel. Having the cans was essential, and reassuring as we tried garage after garage.
|
|
|
Post by davidb5964 on May 31, 2016 19:34:58 GMT 1
Got back last night and apart from the fuel station by Cherbourg port all seemed fine, did not fill up wife's new Eco flex Insignia as made it from Warwick to the French house and back on one tank with fuel to spare, don't think my 3 litre auto Lexus GS would have managed that :-)
|
|