Strike 22 May
 

Just seen the next strike is due 22 May, and will include Air France, SNCF this time. With Sarkozy's opinion poll rating down to 36% (was 67% when he came into office) will be interesting to see how he handles this latest round of protests.:blink:

Re: Strike 22 May
 

I do recall he said he'd put his foot down and shake things up a bit. Haha. :rofl: I'll be staying indoors on this day. :thumbup:

Re: Strike 22 May
 

Just so long as there's not another one on June 29th. I've just booked our flights on Air France for then. :unsure:

Re: Strike 22 May
 

Or May 29th.

Seem to remember him saying he would be Margaret Thatcher in trousers. Something tells me he won't find the French as easy to trample on as she did the Brits LOL.

Re: Strike 22 May
 

But isn't the current social model in dire need of reforms ?
35-hrs' working week , all the hols , social accommodation and the rest....???

Re: Strike 22 May
 

Yes but as ever there is a percentage of people that don't want reform and their all the idiots controlling the unions. Plus a lot of people have got used to their nice short week and baffling quantity of hol's and would prefer less for more. Here not including the big supermarkets most shops don't open on monday (why i ask myself every week) its a very outdated model i remeber that in wales 25/30 years ago.

The children have jumped on the band wagon half of them cant spell Social Reform let alone understand what it entails. If you want more its simple work harder. Maybe if he passed some customer service laws and gave the consumer a bit of power then things would change a little.

Re: Strike 22 May
 

You're right. It's the minority of Communist syndiqués who "foutent la pagaille" (pardon my French) in France to defend their "droits acquis". Président Sarkozy was elected because the silent majority want reforms, which the Socialists daren't propose.
But this discussion risks becoming heated, and should be continued in the "Take it Outside" thread...., n'est-ce pas?

Re: Strike 22 May
 

But this discussion risks becoming heated, and should be continued in the "Take it Outside" thread...., n'est-ce pas?[/QUOTE]



I don't think so, mainly because the subject is so specific to living in France. Unless you've lived or visited the country, you wont really appreciate the problem, or circumstances behind it. However, I will defer to the rest of you and if other's feel that this would be more appropriate, will move the thread to TIO.

Re: Strike 22 May
 

I don't think so, mainly because the subject is so specific to living in France. Unless you've lived or visited the country, you wont really appreciate the problem, or circumstances behind it. However, I will defer to the rest of you and if other's feel that this would be more appropriate, will move the thread to TIO.[/QUOTE]

For the record, I have been living in France since 1970!!!!
And politics is a very touchy subject on French forums, leading to bad language and insults. I was simply afraid that the usually polite BE France posters would lose their calm. Sorry!

Re: Strike 22 May
 

For the record, I have been living in France since 1970!!!!
And politics is a very touchy subject on French forums, leading to bad language and insults. I was simply afraid that the usually polite BE France posters would lose their calm. Sorry![/QUOTE]


There is nothing for you to apologise for. Politics is a touchy subject anywhere, but hopefully we all get on well enough here that we stay friends:thumbsup: I think the last time we had a really heated post was the one on hunting. Now that did cause some heated debate:eek:
As I said, if others feel strongly enough that this should be moved, then let me know and I'll do it.
Val

Re: Strike 22 May
 

So what is it you want? Do you want them to become like the Brits, slaves to the bosses demands, to go back in time so you have to work 48 hrs plus to get by, accept everything central government tells you like a dog wagging it's tail?

Having one day a week where the shops don't open isn't outdated it's nice. That's one reason I came over here, they aren't slaves to non stop, must be done yesterday mentality that we have in Britain. Good on them for standing up for themselves. Wish we'd had the balls to years ago.

Re: Strike 22 May
 

There is nothing for you to apologise for. Politics is a touchy subject anywhere, but hopefully we all get on well enough here that we stay friends:thumbsup: I think the last time we had a really heated post was the one on hunting. Now that did cause some heated debate:eek:
As I said, if others feel strongly enough that this should be moved, then let me know and I'll do it.
Val[/quote]

Politics is a touchy subject in France let alone forums about France, we have Fascist's to one side of our house Socialist liberals to the other it's a nightmare. But the Fascist's like to call themselves Communist because it's not quite as badly viewed. Toulouse is Famous for it from the 60's forward their pulled down large parts of the city displacing a large number of people to those loverly high rise buildings around the periferic it caused no end of problems and the some of the people at the top ended up going to prison for the corruption involved. This was at the time they set up the Regional technologies zones Toulouse getting space electronics etc.

Another method of good reform here would be to remove the 2 vote race for power or shift to a longer voting system allowing candidates votes from weaker parties to be shifted as is used in other countries. IE my first choice is Mr Plonker and my second choice is Mrs Clueless but i dont want Mr Right Wing in at all. Build a true picture of what the majority would like.

You only have to look at other countries around the world but Social environments that are built on regular revolutions just get more revolutions, The populous gets a taste for blood and will spark off at the slightest grievance with the controlling power. The current main population here seems to be some strange belief that the Social system and reform will be changed overnight. Typically you have to clean out the two oldest generations in any system whilst educating the new generations to get any change this can take many years more like decades.

The simple fact is that the way we see it here is the way it will be for many years. But i have purchased a couple of pitchforks just in case.

Vive la revolution..?

Re: Strike 22 May
 

Does anyone know if this went ahead today? Has anyone been affected by it?

I haven't left the house today yet, due to getting stinking blind drunk last night. Still, I must say I am feeling CHAMPION

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/images/chapic1n_22may08.jpg

Re: Strike 22 May
 

I forgot! Stood at bus stop in Collioure cursing the French buses for not being at least a minute late as I was. Walked up to railway station and waited for train with a lady travelling to Carcassonne for a flight tomorrow and we waited in vain. Then I remembered.

Buses seem to have been running this afternoon though.

Re: Strike 22 May
 

I don't think I've ever heard of a strike being cancelled!
I was only affected by lack of post and no France Inter for the news this morning, but had taken the precaution of going to the Tax Office yesterday and postponing a trip involving bus and tramway until next week. At least they warn you about the next strike in advance (but too late for travellers who booked their journeys two months beforehand).

Re: Strike 22 May
 

We don't seem to have been affected by today's strike, had plenty of post although I wish they hadn't bothered as it was mostly factures :( Thankfully the school wasn't affected this time, I heard parents at other schools had to take their children in to school as the buses weren't running. In fact it has been quite peaceful here today as we have a railway line about 60 metres from the house :thumbup:. Although we don't notice the train noise much anyway, just the noisy cereal trains!

Hubby is going to the UK tonight, he is now setting off extra early just in case... he has booked with eurotunnel, so fingers crossed.

Re: Strike 22 May
 

Does anyone know when the next strike is?

Re: Strike 22 May
 

Nothing official at the time of writing, but there's always the risk of the fishermen and long-distance lorry drivers blocking ferry ports (and oil refineries). (Thanks for your pm which I deleted by mistake - glad you enjoyed your trip to MTP).

Re: Strike 22 May
 

It's not a strike (well, I hope it doesn't turn into one between now and then), but a "journée d'action" with "manifestations" has just been announced on the radio for Tuesday 17th June. Which means basically that Parisians and inhabitants of large towns will be stuck in traffic jams due to the demonstrations. Normally I'm not affected in my village, but it's that very day that I'll be passing through Paris to catch a TGV - Murphy's Law....
And, in addition to the fishermen and lorry drivers, other professionals such as farmers and taxis, are also blocking roads to protest about the rise in fuel prices, so there could be traffic jams anywhere in France as from now....

Re: Strike 22 May
 

I've just heard on the radio that the SNCF are on strike as from 20h00 this evening and all day tomorrow. Not all syndicats are striking, but it still means fewer trains. There's also yet another "journée d'action" by the fonctionnaires, but apparently without strikes.
And, just to warn those living or travelling in the areas, lorries are planning to block the roads today at the Atlantic and Mediterranean Spanish borders and on the ring roads around Bordeaux and Toulouse.
At this rate, maybe a new Sub-Forum should be set up, exclusively for Strikes and Demonstrations....:lol:

Re: Strike 22 May
 

Very good that,hope you get some support,you have my votesssss;)

Re: Strike 22 May
 

Thank you for keeping us not so good French speakers informed dmu.

Re: Strike 22 May
 

dmu thank you for posting this information.:thumbsup: We are due to go to Paris tomorrow by train. Rushed over to the local station after I read your post.
It looks as if there are 3 trains due to still operate tomorrow from here in Normandy, luckily one of them is the one we had planned on catching at 2.30 pm. We couldn't reserve seats though. Hopefully there wont be a problem, but if there is, it still gives us time to drive to Paris.

Re: Strike 22 May
 

You're welcome!
Back to the fonctionnaires' day of action tomorrow, I've read on a French website that some of the syndicats are in fact intending to strike, so, wherever you live, if you need to go to your Mairie, Tax Office, CPAM, etc.. ring them beforehand to make sure they're open, and be prepared for schools and/or canteens to be closed.