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.

[gregwest]

To have productivity, one has to produce something? What products does Norway produce? I can't think of anything I have ever purchased that came from that country.

GW

[tomjohn77]

Are you the local Homer Simpson in your community

[tomjohn77]

Yes that one. I was always reffering to per hour. Never arguing combined hour. Thank you. Always nice to talk to somebody that are nice

[tomjohn77]

I acctually studyed in the US. It was a great experience and I met so many nice people. One of my best friends is an American from New Jersey. He is a Bush supporter by heart and a good man. We had so much fun. He also stayed at my parents house for two weeks over Christmas. My parents loved the guy. Really nice. I was also invited home to a couple of families for thanks giving. Great parents that were open and nice.
I never encounter persons like highwheeler. Probably because I avoid those people because I like positive people.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

I have worked for and with French Nationals as well as US Citizens and several other countries in A Classical Kitchen Brigade System over the Last 35 years I have not seen a Discerning Difference between anyone Nationality Though the French Tend to be alot more arrogant then most in a Kitchen setting which is really funny since most French food comes from Italy ( Caterina Di Meci`) or England (Augusta Escofier)

Wow! Did someone steal all the punctuation keys from your keyboard? And what is with all the unnecessary capitalization?
Trying to read your post gave me a headache!

[tomjohn77]

Third largest exporter of oil, machinery, equipment, metals, chemicals, ship building, a lot of fish farming. Imports account for just 60% of exports. Bugdet surplus of around 15%. Look up the CIA fact book 2005.

[MARTIAL MONK]

I remembered the thread because I once had an office manager who was Norwegian by birth. She was amazingly efficient. By the time I got in the office she had three lists; what she had taken care of, what she would take care of and what I needed to intercede in. She often left for lunch and didn't come back. I tried to find something to be mad about but her work was always up-to-date or ahead. There were other people to answer the phone. She made a hard job look easy.

Focus and efficiency seem to be Scandinavian traits. I just don't understand their penchant for government.

I also don't understand the French standing in the report. The ones I have met just haven't struck me as particularly productive. It may be that their economy has eliminated all but the high productivity jobs.

[HighWheeler]

"I was always reffering to per hour."

So, Euroweenies have been taught to believe that someone who runs a one-hundred yard dash in 10 seconds once in a whole day are more productive (per hour!) than the American who runs an entire marathon (at a "slower pace"!) in 3 hours during the same day.

So THIS must be how Euroweenies get duped into living in tiny, cold, old, expensive houses while their government takes nearly all their money......

[tomjohn77]

Totally agree that the French dont seem to productive.

[tomjohn77]

PPP is around 40000 dollar for both Norway and the US. Run fast and be finished is my philosophy.
Why so much anger whinner? Drink a duff beer and relax homer.

[tomjohn77]

I hate government. Latelly the Norwegian government have started to privatize a lot of different businesses. Making postal for example run like a private company. Sell down in Statoil who is the leading oil producer in Norway etc. So things are going the right way. Industrial growth was between 5-6% last year. That is one of the highest growth rates in the Western World or the highest.