To French Workers, Minutes Add Up

International Herald Tribune Via AnkleBitingPundits.com ^ | 4/29/05 | Thomas Fuller

[crushkerry]

One minute and 52 seconds is the time it might take an employee to remove his coat and begin booting up his computer, or maybe to dart off for a trip to the water cooler. In France this year, it is the additional time that staff at the national railroad company were asked to work each day as their contribution to a "solidarity fund" for the handicapped and elderly.

The rail workers' response: not unless we get paid for it.

"One minute and 52 seconds doesn't seem like much but it still adds up to 7 or 8 hours a year that would not be paid," said Grégory Roux, secretary of the railroad workers division of the CGT, one of France's largest unions.

[marc1]

It's not called tyranny, it's an extreme model of socialism. The left in france got too much power through trade unions and managed to get the 35 hour week(as you probably know). It was done for short term political gains when the left was in government. I guess the idea was to limit the amount each employee works to allow someone who is unemployed to get a share of the work. It might have employed more people but no real jobs were created. Many people in france think this is a disaster, it is ideology before reality. You have no incentive to start a business as the bureaucracy, among other things, is a big problem. I think the British model is by far the best.

[Ciexyz]

btt

[bfree]

I am proud to from Norway. We have the highest productivity per hour with a very good margin. 33% higher than the US and probably almost twice the average of other European countries

Doing what, drinking?

[bfree]

This isn't funny. The way I read it, I can't distinguish between what the French government is doing and slavery. They are requiring workers to work a holiday that was not traditionally worked and the employers are to turn all wages over to the government.

That is the dumbest post I have ever read.

[bfree]

No it isn't the same. They don't work a 40 hour week.

[elli1]

No it isn't the same. They don't work a 40 hour week.

The length of the work week has absolutely nothing to do with being required to work an extra 'day' (in this case, an extra 7 hour day) and having the gov't confiscate the wages from that day. The fact that it was a paid holiday only makes it worse. By comparison, American workers generally expect to collect overtime pay for working on holidays.

Moreover, your statement implies that you think it would be OK for the gov't to force anyone who works less than 40 hours a week to work addt'l time & to confiscate all the wages earned beyond their normal working schedule. On the grounds that they didn't have anything else better to do with their time or money?

[HighWheeler]

"Strange that worker efficiency per hour is greater in France than in the US. That is not a good sign for the States."

You sure are spewing a load of crap.

This site shows the U.S.A. #2 in the world, with France at a lowly #19.

http://www.mrdowling.com/800gdppercapita.html

You have any better stats? Show 'em.

[bfree]

You and your socialist friends are doomed, too bad. No sympathy here for the french.

[tomjohn77]

well my source was posted here nine month ago

[Lazamataz]

"One minute and 52 seconds doesn't seem like much but it still adds up to 7 or 8 hours a year that would not be paid," said Grégory Roux, secretary of the railroad workers division of the CGT, one of France's largest unions.

France is utterly insane.

[tomjohn77]

well look up the newest cia fact book. i have already seen so many incorrect measurements there so I dont trust the Cia fact book. The new book says Norway PPP is around 37800 and growth has been around 1% a year since 2002. Petroluems Fund is measured at just 1/4 of its worth. Luxembourg PPP is suddenly around 55000 with a marginal growth since 2002. up 20000. somebody should learn adding and subtracting. Who is those incompetant people.

[HighWheeler]

Well my source was posted here nine month ago"

You have only been on FR for 4 months (12-23-2004). STRIKE ONE.

and gee, your source is not posted "here". STRIKE TWO.

And the USA's GDP still beats Snoreway any way you cut the data. STRIKE THREE.

[HighWheeler]

"I am proud to from Norway. We have the highest productivity per hour with a very good margin. 33% higher than the US and probably almost twice the average of other European countries"

This is a load of crap. Don't come to FR with a load of utter crap and expect us to just believe YOU.

I've already asked you to PROVE your claim with data, pal, and you can't seem to come up with anything. Go back to your hole and don't come back until you have independent DATA.

[HighWheeler]

Hey dipshit.

I suspected you are faking your "accent" on this board. It truly is bad.

So I found how your accent was surprisingly absent in this post of yours:

"I see your point in lowerig the interest rate, but refinancing and loaning money in your house is not a good idea . After a while you have refinanced so many times that you dont even own the forks in your house. Refinancing should not be done to many times. Many stupid people refinance many times and use credit cards to the limits because they dont know how to use their money. Usually poor people use this to many times to get money for a car they want or holidays etc."

From this link to post #54
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1361015/posts?page=54#54

You may want to see your writing on post #52 also.

Loser.

[tomjohn77]

So much anger. Acctually it might be less than 9 months, maybe 7 months, since the first time I was on this cite, but it is for sure more than 4 months since I read my first article here. I just read articles for some time before I logged on. There was a article an this cite about worker productivity an hour. I have also read international reports. Well look up the newest CIA fact book and you will see my numbers are correct. Just search CIA fact book. Well right now Luxembourg PPP is revised higher to 58900 dollar. Norway now stands at 40000. The petroleums funds are finally revised closer to its actual worth.

Second. Jeg er født i Sarpsborg i Østfold. Hvis jeg ikke tar feil så ligger det i Norge. Jeg har ingen grunn til å skrive feilinformasjon. Kanskje dette er nok til å overbevise deg om at jeg ikke er fra De Forente Stater.
Got my point.

Who is the biggest loser now. Its funny how the tables turned.

[mewzilla]

Jeg er født i Sarpsborg i Østfold. Hvis jeg ikke tar feil så ligger det i Norge. Jeg har ingen grunn til å skrive feilinformasjon. Kanskje dette er nok til å overbevise deg om at jeg ikke er fra De Forente Stater.

Did a moose bite your sister?

[tomjohn77]

Yes acctually it did. Well just wrote some in Norwegian to my friend that was becoming a little bite hostile. Just to let him know that I was not faking. Just some facts there no bad mouthing. I am not that kind a guy. I am not a snob like many French are.

[Kelly_2000]

"Police chiefs are evaluated on the reported crime rate in their jurisdictions--the fewer crimes reported, the better the evaluation. Hmmm..."

It is the same in most countries what is your point?

[HighWheeler]

I referred to, and revealed, your fake writing "accent". You're such a loser. And Snoreway is still way behind the USA in GDP any way you cut it.

[MARTIAL MONK]

Is this what you are looking for?