France - Refinery Blockages/Strikes

Given its the most visited country in the world, i think this is a problem. Numero une, my mother is flying from France next Weds...

Numero deux, i'm going there in July

Hopefully the Frenchies have it all sorted by then, and i can enjoy filling up at the petrol pump, without any issue !
 
The changes in the law are designed to make it easier to hire and, more importantly, fire people.
It is notoriously difficult to fire someone in France as the unions are so strong. As a result, people really do have 'jobs for life'. This means lots of inefficiency and no possibilities for young people.
Everyone wants to be a civil servant for this very reason.

The irony is that all these young people are protesting against the very laws which are designed to get them out of unemployment because the outdated, union-backed socialist laws are there to protect them.
From jobs they don't and most likely won't ever have.
 
I was about to pull the trigger on some cheapo flights to the south of France on the second week of June. Seriously reconsidering now. Really fancied a cheeky few days abroad :(
 
I'm sure I read somewhere online that one of the reasons was because the reforms included a section on how hours would be normalized annually meaning anything over 38 hours was no longer considered overtime (yeah, I know crazy to us but who would not want it if offered) but crucially the employer could legally decide how long a person had to work for that week, which could be more or less than 38 hours.

I'm with the french on this, the way things are these days with the threat of TTIP and now CETA it's pretty clear most governments want to take an inch but the citizens of those countries know full well they will take at least 5 miles.
 
You have to give the French ne thing, when they strike they strike in style.. Non of this 24hrs malarkey. Just wait till the farmers get in on the act there will be **** flying all over the place.

Hopefully gets sorted soon for the people travelling over the bank holidays or there could be trouble ahead..
 
breadturbo said:
The French are always on strike, the air controllers were ons trike most of last week also.
Give them a working week over 35hrs and see how they cope :P
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they were on strike a few months ago too my plane had to fly around france instead of through their airspace
 
amigafan2003 said:
World in shock as unions try to look after their members, which is what their members pay them to do!
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Thomas Piquemal resigned from the EDF board of directors too over this, he was their Finance Director.

My main concern here is that Britain's energy security seems to be dependent on foriegn entities who may not have Britain's best interests at heart - this would include French Unions and the Chinese. Believe me, the rest of the world is laughing at us for the deal we made with the Chinese on this :(
 
scorza said:
My main concern here is that Britain's energy security seems to be dependent on foriegn entities who may not have Britain's best interests at heart - this would include French Unions and the Chinese. Believe me, the rest of the world is laughing at us for the deal we made with the Chinese on this :(
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One of the biggest crimes of Osborne imo.
 
The UK government must be crazy to be getting mixed up with financially spiralling downwards EDF and France in general, and dodgy China over something as expensive and sensitive as a nuclear power station. Let the unions sign the final death knell for the French economy, it's sheer madness to be negotiating a deal with such a failing company and economy. Hopefully Le Pen will attempt to sort things out.
 
Chris Wilson said:
The UK government must be crazy to be getting mixed up with financially spiralling downwards EDF and France in general, and dodgy China over something as expensive and sensitive as a nuclear power station. Let the unions sign the final death knell for the French economy, it's sheer madness to be negotiating a deal with such a failing company and economy. Hopefully Le Pen will attempt to sort things out.
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Frances economy is growing.....
 
Chris Wilson said:
The UK government must be crazy to be getting mixed up with financially spiralling downwards EDF and France in general, and dodgy China over something as expensive and sensitive as a nuclear power station. Let the unions sign the final death knell for the French economy, it's sheer madness to be negotiating a deal with such a failing company and economy. Hopefully Le Pen will attempt to sort things out.
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Le Pen? Hah. Do you actually know the details of any of her policies?

Chris Wilson said:
Better tell the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36152571
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Well, the French economy is actually growing, but it is in poor shape certainly.
 
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