The Next French Revolution
From the New York Times:
Now, let's look at the numbers the NYT does not give in their piece: Current unemployment in France runs at 23% among the general population and upwards of 50% in some the immigrant banlieues (generous welfare handouts are another reason for high unemployment in those areas. Why work?)
What is really at stake here is the right to mediocrity. The new law, proposed by the French government, would give employers the right to fire workers for no cause during the first two years of their employment. Under current regulations, once an employer takes on an employee, he is stuck with that employee. Terminating an employee is a costly, onerous and remains virtually impossible, no matter how poorly that employee performs. The employer, rather than the state has become the de facto distributor of welfare.
The French GDP per capita is 30% less than that of American workers- and that may be related to the reality that less than 42% of French adults work.
The percentage of French citizens receiving a paycheck from the government is among the highest in the world- and they too, cannot be fired. In addition, the French government offers buyouts to employees in their 50's, so they can retire with a nice nest egg and collect a pension.
Is it any wonder that France is going down the tubes?
"The majority of the French are passionate in their distrust of market forces and in their refusal to embrace flexibility..."In fact, it was the 'student' riots in 1968 that triggered the socialist society that has become France. Minimum work weeks, employee benefits that have bankrupted employers and the determination of French small business not to grow their businesses and not to hire anyone if at all possible.
Now, let's look at the numbers the NYT does not give in their piece: Current unemployment in France runs at 23% among the general population and upwards of 50% in some the immigrant banlieues (generous welfare handouts are another reason for high unemployment in those areas. Why work?)
What is really at stake here is the right to mediocrity. The new law, proposed by the French government, would give employers the right to fire workers for no cause during the first two years of their employment. Under current regulations, once an employer takes on an employee, he is stuck with that employee. Terminating an employee is a costly, onerous and remains virtually impossible, no matter how poorly that employee performs. The employer, rather than the state has become the de facto distributor of welfare.
The French GDP per capita is 30% less than that of American workers- and that may be related to the reality that less than 42% of French adults work.
The percentage of French citizens receiving a paycheck from the government is among the highest in the world- and they too, cannot be fired. In addition, the French government offers buyouts to employees in their 50's, so they can retire with a nice nest egg and collect a pension.
Is it any wonder that France is going down the tubes?
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