Students Barricading with Tables and Chairs at the Sorbonne
Thank you once again, Craig Smith at the New York Times for your article Sunday, March 12th for keeping us up to date. It is hard to believe that French riot police are once again at the footsteps of the Sorbonne, University of Paris - which is the epicenter of student life in Paris’s Left Bank, Latin Quarter. But this happened at 4 a.m. Of the 200 students involved, only 11 were arrested.
The reason for this nationwide protest involves employment contracts for employees under 26 years old. The contested law would allow employers a two year probation period to decide whether they would keep full time employees on staff.
For Americans, my self included, the whole concept of job stability is pretty foreign - unless you’ve ever worked for a large corporation. Discontent concerning this proposed law has been brewing for quite a while and here are some of the conversations I’ve had with French friends regarding the law :
How can an employee plan for his/her future - i.e. go out and buy a home, raise a family if he/she’s on a two year probation?
My response is - you live your life being always ready to adapt to change - which doesnt’ sit well with the French lifestyle that focuses on stability.
I’ve also spoken to some of the small business owners who are so hemmed in by hiring and firing laws. Add to that the 35 hour work week, and it makes running a small business very challenging.
It is virtually impossible to fire someone in France - so rather than fire you, an employer will make life as miserable as possible.
The result is a great deal of psychological misery. Like an unhappy marriage, people are forced to stay in unhappy working situations when they might be much better off finding a working environment where they can flourish.
Employers should be able to fire employees if they feel they’re not doing the job properly.
Being fired can be a blessing. I’ve known executives who’ve been fired and went on to become multi-millionaires.
Instituting a two year probation period for full time work might encourage small businesses to hire people that they would have normally only hired as part-timers. So where are the negatives?
Let me know your thoughts!
By Parisgirl | Permalink
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Comments
I find this issue quite facinating because it really is a telling difference between the US/UK and France employment model.
I used to work in Europe (Amsterdam) for a US software company and my co-workers used to think I was odd because I would work 55 hour weeks (In the US I would easily do 60 or more). I now have my own business and I set my own time that I work and I no longer travel (which is a mixed blessing).
Unlike many of my fellow Americans I am not going to judge the French on this. I think this is their business on how they want to live.
Hi Dennis: When you wrote ‘job security will be a thing of the past - were you thinking of France, Europe, the USA or all of the above. Today’s entry ‘Food for Thought will be dedicated to your comment. Thanks for your input.
However, I will give one opinion and I am curious if others think I am right or wrong. In my most humble opinion the CPE is just the beginning. If it survives these protests, there will be more laws liberalizing the labor market. Job security will become more of a thing of the past.
I give this opinion based on what I have seen from my father’s situation. He retired from General Motors many years ago and at the time he worked there, he had “wonderful” benefits. However now look at the situation GM is having. They cannot even afford to pay their retirees. The United Auto Workers union is having a tough time getting any more benefits from GM. Quite the opposite.
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And what would you suggest next to happen? That we Europeans get rid of our 4-5 weeks holiday per year and the right healthcare and the right of unemployment benefits and so on?
People fought on the streets to get these things sorted and they worked well for us and should be protected at all cost. Or do you really believe that the living conditions in america are better than in Europe?
Hi NAT: Hey, if going out in the streets would get Americans the same kind of healthcare you have in France and 4-5 weeks vacation, I don’t know why we don’t all aren’t out there already! France has a great healthcare system and none of that comes easily.