Gotta Love the French!

[purpleronnie]

They were offered tax breaks and other benefits but thats not good enough for the French.

I wish more we're as militant. Not saying smasing peoples shops up is the answer but some action would be better than nothing.

Streets ablaze as 2 million French strike on economy

By Don Mackay 20/03/2009

Rampaging mobs vandalised banks, expensive cars and designer shops across France yesterday as two million people protested at Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the economic crisis.

A general strike paralysed the country as workers caught in the credit crunch demanded higher wages, job protection and taxes on the rich from the French president.

Looting and violence erupted in most major cities, with gangs smashing bank and shop windows and attacking other symbols of wealth.

Riot police used tear gas on marauding youths as they tried to contain the chaos in Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Riot police said: "There were outbreaks of violence everywhere.

There were groups set on targeting anything that represented ostentatious wealth.

"Banks, expensive cars and some shops were vandalised."

Teachers, train drivers, air traffic controllers, hospital and mail staff joined the action supported by all the unions and the socialist opposition.

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It caused severe disruption to trains and airports and the Paris underground. The protests also delayed thousands of Britons though Eurostar services were running. Unions said at least two million turned out - as many as the last general strike in January.

President Sarkozy offered tax breaks and benefits worth £2.3billion after January's strike, but protesters said it was not enough.

They also want the president to reverse cuts in the civil service and boost consumption.

A poll found 75 per cent of the French supported the action despite the disruption.

But while the riots erupted, Mr Sarkozy appeared relatively untroubled yesterday after a long lunch with Gordon Brown in Paris ahead of the EU summit in Brussels.

Mr Sarkozy said he "understood the concerns" but rejected suspending a 50 per cent cap on income tax, arguing that it would drive the wealthy abroad. He said any more spending would only mean more debt.

But the CFDT union said: "The Government has given billions to banks and industry but not protected ordinary people. We are calling for lower tax and more money to fund training."

______________________________________________

The grim mood behind France's banners

By Hugh Schofield

BBC News, Paris

France certainly knows how to give a good demo and today's parades provided a vivid focus for growing public anger over the economy.

In La Reunion strikers blocked a supermarket with trolleys

To the music of whistles and fire-crackers, hundreds of thousands marched through the streets of Paris and other cities, shouting down the government and demanding more state protection to see them through the crisis.

Schools and public offices were shut, transport disrupted, radio stations off air - in all, the classic repertoire of the French journee d'action, or "day of action".

Why is it only in France that such demonstrations are taking place?

After all, it is people the world over who are bearing the brunt of the recession. But they are not on the street.

The answer is simple. France is France. It has its own political and social codes, forged in the Revolution and over the course of two turbulent centuries.

Tradition

Here more than elsewhere, public protest is the legitimate expression of political difference - it is how they get governments to listen.

I do feel that this strike is necessary - people on low income can hardly afford to pay the rent

Coralie Diatkine, musician, Paris

French strike: Your views

Today's protesters want many things from the government of President Nicolas Sarkozy. They want a rise in the minimum wage. They want an end to public sector job cuts.

They are demanding the removal of a 50% personal tax ceiling that benefits the rich. Some of them say companies that make profits should be banned from making people redundant.

But above all they want to express a gnawing sense of injustice.

As one protester put it, if it was the richest of the rich that created the disaster, why do the poorest of the poor bear the burden?

Recipe for trouble

The government will certainly listen. It may even be sympathetic. But its room for manoeuvre is limited.

On the one hand President Sarkozy can argue that large amounts of money have already been promised to get France through the crisis.

Mr Sarkozy has ruled out reversing reforms

Last December he announced a 26bn euro (£24.3bn)investment programme to kick-start the economy, and following a "social summit" in February a further 2.6bn euros were made available to ease the burden on families.

In addition 6.6bn euros of loans have been made available to bail out the car industry.

He can also argue that France is, if anything, faring better than its neighbours in the crisis, because its generous system of welfare payments acts as a financial cushion.

And that increasing even further France's already massive public debt will only hold back the recovery when it finally comes.

But against that President Sarkozy is well aware that the mood in the country is grim, bordering on ugly.

In a country where wages are low by Western European standards, many people already feel close to the bread line. The current wave of job losses - and unemployment will increase to 10% this year - has only exacerbated the prevailing insecurity.

Add to that a widespread sense of outrage at the "favours" done by the government to bankers and businesses, and the mix is potentially explosive.

In La Reunion strikers blocked a supermarket with trolleys

[Webbo]

A general strike paralysed the country as workers caught in the credit crunch demanded higher wages, job protection and taxes on the rich from the French president.

What a bunch of arseholes. How is increasing costs going to protect jobs? It's more likely to send more jobs abroad.

[purpleronnie]

What a bunch of arseholes. How is increasing costs going to protect jobs? It's more likely to send more jobs abroad.

So the workers shouldn't demand wages and working conditions?

[Simi]

Streets ablaze as 2 million French strike on economy

By Don Mackay

Good to see he's found some work after the Mandaric fiasco.

[Webbo]

So the workers shouldn't demand wages and working conditions?

And if the higher wages put their employers out of business or convince them to outsource their jobs, how does that help?

[Kilworthfox]

Good to see he's found some work after the Mandaric fiasco.

The French are a buch of backstabbing work shy tossers who deserve no love at all. Go run to the Germans you cretins, remeber who bails you out. Judas'.

[purpleronnie]

And if the higher wages put their employers out of business or convince them to outsource their jobs, how does that help?

'IF' yep we should all accept everything just incase. Ahhh apathy, you're not alone my friend.

[Kilworthfox]

And if the higher wages put their employers out of business or convince them to outsource their jobs, how does that help?

IMO they should shut the fook up an go back to work & thank their employer for not firing their bitchin asses.

[Webbo]

'IF' yep we should all accept everything just incase. Ahhh apathy, you're not alone my friend.

All across the world there is a credit crunch, people are cutting back, trying to spend less. You think the French economy will improve by putting up the cost of their exports?

Sometimes apathy is better than stupidity.

[breadandcheese]

So the workers shouldn't demand wages and working conditions?

Your response gets to the crux of what a job is?

Is a job a right? If it is a right, then yes, a worker should be able to demand better wages and conditions. However, that works on the premise that a job is a guaranteed right.

if a job is a deal between employer and employee, the employee is effectively selling their time to the employer. In that sense, the employee is effectively selling his/her time to the employer. On this basis, rioting and demanding better conditions is completely absurd, as it is for the employee to decide whether they are prepared to accept their current conditions, or quit/seek new employment. At the moment, the job market is very poor, so the power lies with employers, who can feel less inclined to offer pay increases. A few years ago, some employers would have offered pay increases in the knowledge that members of staff would leave for new jobs, meaning increased costs of training for new employees, etc.