French Senate OKs retirement reform in tense vote [Raise Retirement age to 62!]

via Drudge Report ^ | 22 OCT 10 | By ANGELA CHARLTON and ALEXIS DUCLOS

[GeronL]

Next thing you know they’ll cut the guaranteed vacation to 3 weeks instead of a whole month.

[GeronL]

This reform takes 8 years to implement and they are barely scratching the surface, and they’re already rioting.

wow

[wolf78]

Next thing you know they will be demanding 40 hour work weeks! /s

Sacre bleu, now that would be illegal. 35 hour work weeks are the law in France (context: 38-42 hours being the norm in most other EU states like the UK, with a maximum 48 hours for blue collar workers).

For comparison: In Germany the SPD, the largest left-wing party is also demanding changes to the legal retirement age. The new retirement age being 67. They want exceptions for steel workers and those working from the age of 16, so they can retire at 65. Strangely, no riots.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks DCBryan1. Thanks EBH for the link to it in another topic.

[ColdOne]

I know it is a “sucking chest wound” For me it is the idea. They did something constructive, knowing riots and people upset.

[chilltherats]

Maybe the kids are a rent-a-mob such as are used here for anti-war protests, etc.. Communism is rampant in France because the French have always been too spineless, uncaring, selfish and decadent to resist, hence they have tremendous union tyranny there.

[workerbee]

No one's said it yet so I will: Sacre Bleu!

[SatinDoll]

The Communists and Anarchists are active and noisy in France, plus too many people are unemployed. That means bodies are available for the protests.

[dr_who]

Some Frenchmen have spines.

[HollyB]

I bet you are right about the rent a mob idea.

[SatinDoll]

There would be less unemployment and more money in France’s Treasury if they deported all the non-French sucking up welfare and holding jobs French citizens should have instead.

[nralife]

“If you believe the tabloids, LOTS of things got “lowered under” M. Miterrand. :)”

LOL... thanks for lightening up my day.

[Lancey Howard]

Next thing you know they will be demanding 40 hour work weeks!

And after that, they'll repeal the mandatory one month paid vacation (yes, that is on the French books) and the "tenure" provisions that make it nearly impossible for companies to fire or lay off any employee who has been on their payroll for six months or more.

Oh, the huge manatee!

Of course, Ubama and the Democrats are sure they can make the Euro-socialist welfare state work in America, and there will never be nationwide strikes that shut down the country, oh no...

[PapaBear3625]

Bizarrely, the group most likely to reap the greatest benefits from this law - young people - protested the most violently against it.

There's high unemployment for young people. They can only get a job when somebody retires and opens a slot.

[PapaBear3625]

I'm not really sure just how "good" it really is. France is essentially socialist and continues to sink farther and farther down the same hole that Greece has. Adding 2 years to the retirement age is like putting a standard band-aid on a sucking chest wound. What is it going to accomplish? In the long run probably zilch until the whole country realizes the Unions and Socialists need to go.....kind of like our country.

They might as well adopt drastic reforms. The Left will riot anyway, might as well actually give the a reason.

[mylife]

Of course, Ubama and the Democrats are sure they can make the Euro-socialist welfare state work in America, and there will never be nationwide strikes that shut down the country, oh no...

Obama knows the French just aren't doing it right. After all, he has been to Harvard.

[WOSG]

This is the kind of mess USA would be in if Obama and his union buddies had their way...

Stop Obama’s Socialism
Defeat All Democrats

[rfp1234]

I’d trade Snowe & Collins & Lugar for 3 of these French Sens.

[kittycatonline.com]

They seemed to be young, backpacking kids doing the rioting. They should be made to clean up the mess they made, then go directly to jail. What a disgrace.

Exactly. Now if I was, oh, 50, I could see getting mad. But rioting? It's just an excuse to go on a vandalism spree. Maybe the riots are being instigated by people in the car window replacement business? They got a union for that over there in France?

[Chode]