Are French workers really a bunch of whiners?
May 15th, 2007 | 
Author: Thanks to Panthère rose for bringing a report highlighting the French as a bunch of whiners this morning.Why is that though? Well, simply put: because it’s an industrial relations tactic that always works in France.
There are untold numbers of examples of the government caving in to demands that one law or another should be dropped because it just didn’t suit some aspect of the population to have it implemented. Two particular sections of the population really stand out in this regard though: students and farmers.
Last year we had riots going on for months because the student population didn’t want a law passed that would, at a stroke, make it both easier to hire and to fire them. It would have led to a drastic reduction in youth unemployment because, at the moment, once you employ someone, that’s it, it’s pretty much permanent. Net effect of the current situation is that companies employ less people than they actually need which, of course, reduces the satisfaction levels of their customers somewhat.
There are just too many examples of the farmers taking to the streets to list them here but the one strand that they have in common is that the farmers want people to buy only French produce and to pay more for it. Hence, when there’s even the mildest of problems with any agricultural product from overseas, their first reaction is to insist on it being banned from France.
The demonstrations against Sarkozy have, of course, already started as he has a whole range of policies designed to drag French working practices and competitiveness into the 21st century. The changes are necessary but they’re going to be difficult for France to accept. After all, look at the problems that we had in the UK when Margaret Thatcher came to power.
So, yes, you could consider them as a bunch of whiners. After all, wouldn’t you be too if it worked every time?
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Hi Arnold!
I think Sarkozy may just drag the French into the 21st century, kicking and screaming. I can’t understand how a country can survive with such a poor work ethic. The service jobs are especially appalling from what I hear from m friends who live in France or have visited Paris. I compare that to the United States where most stores, restaurants, etc. pride themselves on their customer service.
I’ve heard some French bloggers who criticize the US for just about everything and are told we should be more like the French, live life with wine, women and song, and all that. They can quote French philosophers in their sleep, but can’t see the value in working for the betterment of the company that has hired them, which may include long hours and taking responsibility for their work. What are they teaching the future generations in France? They pride themselves on their education program in France and how it is free, yet send their children to the Universities in the US and the UK and pay tuition. Could it be that the best things in life are not free?
I do understand why so many are leaving France to start their business’ in the UK or the US. I couldn’t imagine running a business with employees that cannot be fired if they aren’t doing their jobs or hold the business owner hostage with the threat of a strike if they don’t comply to their every whim.
I’m sure that isn’t the case with all the French. I’m susre there are many who are working hard and good people. However, if those in France don’t recognize the growing problems with the employment situation and allow their government to implement some laws that will protect the business owner from being stuck with lazy workers, I can’t imagine what the future in France will hold. Hopefully, Sarkozy will shake them out of the dream world they are in, he looks like a smart politician.
On another note, I’ve heard the lack of rain in France may be causing a problem for the vineyards. How will this effect their economy? They are already facing a lot of competition with the California/Australia wine industry, no? Without a good economy, how will they pay for their social programs? Just curious.
I don’t know that they started out with a poor work ethic but the problem is that there’s no real incentive to get going in a company. After all, once you get a job, for all practical purposes, it’s a job for life. With that situation, why would you bother doing much more than the minimum?
From the company perspective, it’s really stacked against you in terms of starting a company and of employing anyone. Friends of ours were all set to start up a small Internet company in France as a sideline to their main income but when they looked into it, it turned out that pulling in around EUR 5000 a year for the company they would end up paying around EUR 4800 in the first year in taxes and social security charges. Net effect? Well, they didn’t bother.
I’ve rejected employing anyone simply because although I would need one person to start with, the administrative burden is such that I would need to employ a minimum of two and I can’t afford two to begin with. So, nobody gets employed.
It’s pretty ironic that the French are genuinely friendly and courteous people but that the rules tie them up so much that they can’t reflect this in the customer service of the companies they work for. Simple example: there was a free phone offer in Auchan (similar to Walmart) a few months ago. There wasn’t much of a queue as the French don’t believe that anything can be free, so we queued up for a few mins and got the phone. Except that we couldn’t pay for it there: that meant a queue of 30 mins at a counter just a few yards away!
The French school system is good, their universities are terrible and have extremely high dropout rates. Their school system is good because it’s very structured which is what you need at school but that doesn’t map well onto a university system. Since everyone has the right to go to university, the dropout rate is massive in the first year as obviously not everyone is suited to university.
There are water restrictions on in Perpignan but it doesn’t affect us as we have our own water supply. The rain hasn’t been a major problem locally but the unseasonal wind has been. I was just wandering through the vineyard beside us this afternoon and a lot of the plants are looking pretty sick with all the buffeting they’ve had recently.
They’ll just borrow more to pay for the social programmes. Well, ordinarily they would try to do that but I’m not sure that Sarkozy will. Social programmes are a major problem around most of Europe as they are just too generous and almost all of the systems are pay as you go ie those currently working pay for those currently retired. I gather that the Germans will hit the buffers first as their system is the most generous in comparison to the funding.