This has turned into a stand-off between the pro-business government and pro-employee factions (students, unions, the political left). It is leading up to a general strike that is planned for next Tuesday and will affect the whole country.
Yesterday I was in Saint-Aignan with my friends and saw that the protests have reached as far as this small town. Here's a photo of a demonstration outside the Saint-Aignan city hall.
Demonstration, March 21, 2006, in Saint-Aignan-sur-CherThe banner across the front door says, in a polite translation: "Villepin (he's the prime minister), you're done for. You can take your reform and shove it."
LOl, Ken, pour la bannière !!! Bravo pour la trad/traduction :-) ! On ne peut faire aucune réforme dans ce fichu pays ! Ça rouspète, ça se met en grève dès qu'un changement se profile à l'horizon... Bonne journée ! Marie
ReplyDeleteWow, if that's the polite translation I'd hate to read the impolite one! ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo employment is not "at will" in France as it is here in the States?
I've never had a real job in France (I was an itinerant teacher back in the 1970s and early '80s, working year to year) but I understand it is really hard to fire an unproductive or uncooperative employee in France. That makes companies reluctant to hire without going through an very long, involved process to make sure the person will be a real asset. So the hiring and firing process is quite time-consuming here.
ReplyDelete