France Finance Minister: 35-hour work week a 'disaster'

[klah]

French 35-hour week 'a disaster'

The French government yesterday described the 35-hour working week as a financial disaster that was costing the state billions of pounds and promised to reform the system despite fierce union opposition.

In an interview in yesterday's Le Figaro, the finance minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, said that the 35-hour week had lumbered the state with £10 billion a year in additional social charges and that it had demoralised millions of workers.
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The 35-hour week came into effect in 1997, as the Socialists' big idea for reducing unemployment. Unemployment fell until 2000, while the economy boomed, but has since risen again, to just under 10 per cent.
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M Sarkozy was appointed finance minister last month, following the heavy defeat inflicted on President Chirac's ruling Union pour un Mouvement Populaire in regional elections.

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Poll confirms Sarkozy is poised to succeed Chirac

Nicolas Sarkozy's status as the leading contender to succeed Jacques Chirac in France's 2007 presidential elections was confirmed yesterday as a poll found that 89% of the French recognised him as "ambitious", 79% considered him "courageous" and 72% judged him "efficient".

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Chirac hints at changes to France's 35-hour workweek

French President Jacques Chirac gave his backing Monday for moves to water down the country's 35-hour workweek, setting the stage for a showdown with France's powerful trade unions.
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Chirac's comments came amid growing pressure for change from his own outspoken finance minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as from industry leaders such as Edouard Michelin, head of French tire giant Michelin Group.
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His comments found favor with French employers, the conservatives' most powerful allies. In a speech Sunday, Michelin CEO Edouard Michelin said the 35-hour law contributed to a "labor cost deterrent" that scares investors away from France.

"In 59th place worldwide for the average number of hours worked annually, France is can be neither proud nor competitive," Michelin said.

We better not have a bunch of bloody protestors mucking up the TdF!

 

[Martin]

He is quite right. The French are actually more productive and strike less then americans, the reason they're doing so badly right now is that they prefer their free time to faster economic growth. I suppose after some years of slow growth, they're ready to ditch that 35hour week idea.

 

[conjur]

People here b*tch about polls 6 mos. out from our election...but...3 years?? 🙂

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak
He is quite right. The French are actually more productive and strike less then americans, the reason they're doing so badly right now is that they prefer their free time to faster economic growth. I suppose after some years of slow growth, they're ready to ditch that 35hour week idea.

Wouldn't some sort of diminishing returns have an impact in productivity per hour?

A 35 hour work week sounce nice! 😀

 

[Martin]

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak
He is quite right. The French are actually more productive and strike less then americans, the reason they're doing so badly right now is that they prefer their free time to faster economic growth. I suppose after some years of slow growth, they're ready to ditch that 35hour week idea.

Wouldn't some sort of diminishing returns have an impact in productivity per hour?

A 35 hour work week sounce nice! 😀

What I meant is, they are more productive per unit time. But because they work way less, that productivity doesn't add up to as much as in other countries.

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak
He is quite right. The French are actually more productive and strike less then americans, the reason they're doing so badly right now is that they prefer their free time to faster economic growth. I suppose after some years of slow growth, they're ready to ditch that 35hour week idea.

Wouldn't some sort of diminishing returns have an impact in productivity per hour?

A 35 hour work week sounce nice! 😀

What I meant is, they are more productive per unit time. But because they work way less, that productivity doesn't add up to as much as in other countries.

I understand what you meant. I was just wondering if their productive $ per unit time is higher due to a lower work week. I'd guess that those with a longer work week would probably suffer from diminishing returns.

 

[Bowmaster]

...it had demoralised millions of workers.

Could someone explain to me how working 5 hours less a week would demoralize workers? I can see it demoralizing employers, but if you gave me 5 hours more a week away from work, I'd be thrilled!

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: Bowmaster

...it had demoralised millions of workers.

Could someone explain to me how working 5 hours less a week would demoralize workers? I can see it demoralizing employers, but if you gave me 5 hours more a week away from work, I'd be thrilled!

maybe they don't get paid for those five hours? I dunno.

KK

 

[Helenihi]

Originally posted by: Bowmaster

...it had demoralised millions of workers.

Could someone explain to me how working 5 hours less a week would demoralize workers? I can see it demoralizing employers, but if you gave me 5 hours more a week away from work, I'd be thrilled!

Well I'd prefer to work as many hours as I want. I think I'd be demoralized by the government telling me how much I could work. What if I like my job?

 

[magomago]

Actually i remember watching a CNN thing on it. The demoralizing part of it was that even though it is true they work 35 hours a week, they are still expected to get the same amount of work done.

So its like now cramming 40 hours of work in 35 hours...

under those circumstances I would rather have those extra five hours, AND be paid for it

 

[Bowmaster]

Actually i remember watching a CNN thing on it. The demoralizing part of it was that even though it is true they work 35 hours a week, they are still expected to get the same amount of work done.

AHHhhhhh. Silly me. Great answer. Sounds like a great many companies here in the US, except they do the 40 hr (really 50-60 hr) thing...

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Bowmaster

Actually i remember watching a CNN thing on it. The demoralizing part of it was that even though it is true they work 35 hours a week, they are still expected to get the same amount of work done.

AHHhhhhh. Silly me. Great answer. Sounds like a great many companies here in the US, except they do the 40 hr (really 50-60 hr) thing...

Really, I believe the French would die here. They would never survive working the 50-60 hours we do.

How many French folks has anyone run into here???

I worked with a guy in New York, he took a lot of smoking breaks.

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak
He is quite right. The French are actually more productive and strike less then americans.

Are US always on strike? I think that France is one of european countries with most strikes. But ofcourse it's very often the farmers who make them, but they do know how to use their tractors to paralyze a country 🙂

I think that most EU countries has a work week around 40 hours. I think that many has to do some extra work when they get home.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak
He is quite right. The French are actually more productive and strike less then americans

Do you have any info that they do strike less thant he US? I thought the French had big strikes a lot of times.