Strikes, strikes, strikes...
By topffer
@topffer (42156)
France
May 13, 2016 9:35am CST
When it comes to strikes, my country owns an undisputed world record. They mainly happen during spring ; it is as certain as Easter. The weather is nice and a strike gives an opportunity to fill up on vitamin D
.
Here the schedule for next week :
- Starting at 10 pm Monday, renewable strike on road transports asked by 3 trade unions. If they were parking their trucks it would be a good news for car drivers, but they usually organize slow-downs when they don't block the roads
.
- On Tuesday, call for a general strike by 7 employees and students unions against a draft bill ;
- Starting Wednesday, call for a renewable strike in the rail transports by the 2 main rail trade unions, but with a difference : one has given a provisional notice of strike until June 11th, the other one until July, but only on Wednesdays and Thursdays (I never saw something like this before
).
- Call for a general strike on Thursday by the same unions than Tuesday for the same reason ;
- There is not any notice of strike for Friday. Friday is not a good day for a strike in France as there is a risk to not be paid for Friday, but also for Saturday and Sunday
.
To sum up, it will be difficult to circulate in France next week, where only planes will continue to fly : air controllers have done their spring strike last month ; Air France pilots are not yet decided... I would bet that they will strike next month, during the Euro soccer championship in Paris
.
I have not chosen the right job to strike : I cannot annoy others. Besides, quite nobody notices it if I do not go to a demonstration in the streets, and I do not like to march in the crowd that much. My last march was in January last year, although it was not for a strike but after the attacks at Charlie Hebdo. It has been called since a "republican march". Let's say that I am attached to republican values... including the right to strike, even if I have to struggle to get on a train during spring
.
When was your last strike/march ?
.
Here the schedule for next week :
- Starting at 10 pm Monday, renewable strike on road transports asked by 3 trade unions. If they were parking their trucks it would be a good news for car drivers, but they usually organize slow-downs when they don't block the roads.
- On Tuesday, call for a general strike by 7 employees and students unions against a draft bill ;
- Starting Wednesday, call for a renewable strike in the rail transports by the 2 main rail trade unions, but with a difference : one has given a provisional notice of strike until June 11th, the other one until July, but only on Wednesdays and Thursdays (I never saw something like this before).
- Call for a general strike on Thursday by the same unions than Tuesday for the same reason ;
- There is not any notice of strike for Friday. Friday is not a good day for a strike in France as there is a risk to not be paid for Friday, but also for Saturday and Sunday.
To sum up, it will be difficult to circulate in France next week, where only planes will continue to fly : air controllers have done their spring strike last month ; Air France pilots are not yet decided... I would bet that they will strike next month, during the Euro soccer championship in Paris.
I have not chosen the right job to strike : I cannot annoy others. Besides, quite nobody notices it if I do not go to a demonstration in the streets, and I do not like to march in the crowd that much. My last march was in January last year, although it was not for a strike but after the attacks at Charlie Hebdo. It has been called since a "republican march". Let's say that I am attached to republican values... including the right to strike, even if I have to struggle to get on a train during spring.
When was your last strike/march ?12 people like this
9 responses
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
13 May 16
And I thought we Indians were the global leaders when it came to strikes and complete shutdown of almost everything for hours at a stretch
Personally, I never appreciate these strikes (or bandhs as they are called in India). They are national loss. However, because of the severity and no means of transport plying on that day, I enjoyed the day at home watching some movie on the DVD or even cleaning up the clothes or room
Personally, I never appreciate these strikes (or bandhs as they are called in India). They are national loss. However, because of the severity and no means of transport plying on that day, I enjoyed the day at home watching some movie on the DVD or even cleaning up the clothes or room4 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 May 16
Strikes on transports are the more annoying. In the past I was taking a train every day from a city to another where I was working. During strikes there are only 1/2 or 1/3 trains remaining and it is not easy to have a seat, and I had hard times because of these strikes.
Any strike is a loss, but it is with them that we got better social laws... I have followed very few strikes during my life, but I do not contest the right that have train drivers to make a strike every spring.
.3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471508)
• Switzerland
13 May 16
I am sure that Italy is competing with France for the world record for strikes I remember, when we lived in Monte-Carlo, that the month of May we always took our vacations, hoping not to have our flight canceled for a last minute strike. The Monte-Carlo F1 grand prix was another reason not to be around.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 May 16
I read a German economic study from 2015 giving the number of days of strike between 2005 and 2012 in many countries, but Italy was not included
. The results are :
1) France, 139 days of strike ;
2) Denmark 117 days ;
3) Canada 104 days
....
Switzerland is the last one with 1 day of strike for 2005-2012. Shame on you !
May is usually not a good month to travel in France
. The streets are also converted to a running track for old cars every September here. Fortunately, I live far enough to not hear the cars, but many people living near the tracks are taking a week of vacations like you were doing.
. The results are :
1) France, 139 days of strike ;
2) Denmark 117 days ;
3) Canada 104 days
....
Switzerland is the last one with 1 day of strike for 2005-2012. Shame on you !
May is usually not a good month to travel in France. The streets are also converted to a running track for old cars every September here. Fortunately, I live far enough to not hear the cars, but many people living near the tracks are taking a week of vacations like you were doing.2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471508)
• Switzerland
13 May 16
@topffer I am not surprised that Italy was not mentioned, they do not even know how many days of strike they had. Do you know that the very first general strike was in Switzerland in the year 1918? I do not remember the strike between 2005 and 2012.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
13 May 16
My last strike was in 1973. I worked for AT&T and the CWA(Communication Workers of America) was renewing their contract. It only last two weeks.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
13 May 16
@topffer ...Yep. People still need to get places.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 May 16
It often lasts less here, just to protest against something. I doubt that the strike in the trains lasts more than a week, but I am happy to not have to get on a train every day like I did in the past. When half or more of the trains were missing, there were so many people in the trains remaining, that I know now what feels a sardine in a canned box.
.1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
13 May 16
oh my, seems that schtuff don't get sorted'n yer neck'f the woods without such?? livin' out'n the country 'n rarely makin' the trek into town, i'm mostly unaware'f strikes 'n protests. thank the stars!
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 May 16
@crazyhorseladycx Living in a large city has also advantages, but you cannot win on everything. I am in a small city now, and the quality of life is better.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 May 16
You are lucky.
It is certainly better to avoid to take a train next week here if possible. In the past I was working in another city and I was taking a high speed train twice a day to go there and come back. I was spending hours on the platforms waiting for trains during the strikes and I had often to stand up during the travel, lasting 1 hour.
.1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
13 May 16
@topffer i feel fer ya'n all folks who live'n big places where such's a necessity, hon. i fear i'd prolly gone stark ravin' mad :(
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
13 May 16
What would you be on strike for? 
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
13 May 16
@topffer Since I am not being sworn in, I can say that I won't laugh...
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 May 16
@Daljinder Last time I participated to a strike was when they wanted to raise the retirement age.
.1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
13 May 16
I have never been part of a strike or march. On the other hand, spring is our time of year for road construction, which slows us down seven days per week.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 May 16
Here road construction is usually made in summer. Maybe is it because there are too much strikes during spring.
Seriously, to have had to work with the technical services of many cities, I have heard several times that it was impossible to make a good road when the weather was too wet or when it was freezing. Spring is a rainy season here, and they wait until summer.
.
Seriously, to have had to work with the technical services of many cities, I have heard several times that it was impossible to make a good road when the weather was too wet or when it was freezing. Spring is a rainy season here, and they wait until summer.
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
14 May 16
Never having worked in a union shop, I have never been on strike. But I admire strikers in the US; they've brought many an improvement to the workplace, even in Texas, which is a "Right to Work" state. And by "Right to Work" they mean "Right to Fire without cause".
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
14 May 16
Yup, I have heard about this. It is difficult here to fire an employee, and if the employee is fired without any fault, he will get a big compensation from the court. Many employers prefer to negotiate the departure of an employee with him/her than to have later to pay a compensation large enough to force a small business to close.
1 person likes this
@Macarrosel (7498)
• Philippines
13 May 16
I never attended any strike in my entire life and I have no plan to attend any in the future.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 May 16
Never say "never". Here it is a national sport, but without strikes we would not have had any social law : it is because of strikes that anyone has now at least 5 weeks of paid holidays, works only 35 h/week, has free social security and free education (colleges included) in my country...
