Vive La France!
Today, Jacques Chirac, President of France, scrapped the so-called, "Easy hire, easy fire," law, championed by his prime minister and likely successor, Dominique de Villepin. The law, more properly called, "The first job contract," or C.P.E. was designed to alleviate growing concern over youth unemployment. It's aim was to make it easier for businesses to hire young people, than at present, by the simple expedient of making it easier to also fire them if they proved unsuitable for the job.
Now, I'm not saying that the principle of the law is good or bad. I can see the advantage to a business of being able to rid themselves of a lazy, or otherwise unsuitable, employee. I can also see the danger that poses to employees of a bad boss. I have no doubt that the French government will, eventually, have a similar sort of law in effect, sometime in the future.
The point is, they can't have it now, because young French people, trade unions and others who didn't like the idea of this law, marched, rioted, fought police and made such a fuss about it that the President has decided to scrap the idea, whatever negative effects it may have on his prime minister. (Makes him look good though!)
This is not the first time, of course, that the French people have told their government, in no uncertain terms, to think again about new legislation or amendments to existing laws or benefits.The media on this side of the channel will, no doubt, rage about anarchy in France again but I actually think that the French have the right idea. If the government, the people that you elect to serve you, decide to do things that you disapprove of, then, surely, you are entitled to tell them to, "Pack it in!" If they won't listen to reason then, sometimes, taking to the streets seems to be the only thing that the politicians will take heed of.
Now, if only those of us, in England, who feel very angry about the introduction of I.D. cards could stir like-minded people to action, then perhaps we too could make these "public servants," do what we want, instead of us having to do what they tell us, in the name of democracy.
posted by Eddie @ 7:15 pm
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