Tag Archives: france

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

French Strikers Blockade Airports. Don’t Get It?

The anti-government strikes continue in France. Strikers are now blockading airports.  French police opened access to most oil depots, although strikers managed to re-blockade one oil depot.  Liquid Natural Gas workers are now refusing to unload ships carrying LNG.  The French Government is saying they have things under control, and that strikers, like the high school students, will stop, because of an upcoming school holiday.

French striking workers block the Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Roissy near Paris October 20, 2010. Striking public sector workers disrupted travel across France as trade unions kept up their resistance on Wednesday to an unpopular pension reform due for a final vote in the Senate this week. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes (FRANCE - Tags: CIVIL UNREST EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS TRANSPORT POLITICS)

Why is the retirement age increase so important to French workers? Basically because it was a long hard fight to get a retirement system, and now they see this as baby steps to taking it away.  It is a quality of life issue for the French.    Here’s what retired French policeman, Michel Fourgues, had to say: “I am a retired police officer, and we have known times when we earned very little money, but it did not bother anyone. Today we have a pension, we deserve one, and we wish the same thing for the younger generation.”

Demonstrators march through the streets to protest the French government's attempt to raise the minimum retirement age in Paris on October 19, 2010. Trade unions and students have staged nationwide street marches and disruptive strikes throughout France over the last few weeks. UPI/David Silpa Photo via Newscom

Another issue is jobs.  France has an unemployment rate of almost 25% for workers under 25 years of age.  So, naturally the youth feel threatened by an increase in the retirement age.  One protester’s sign read: “Grandpa took my job.”

A demonstrator marches through the streets to protest the French government's attempt to raise the minimum retirement age in Paris on October 19, 2010. Trade unions and students have staged nationwide street marches and disruptive strikes throughout France over the last few weeks. UPI/David Silpa Photo via Newscom

I don’t get it. People in the United States are facing increasing retirement age, yet no one seems to care as much as the French care.  Isn’t quality of life important?  You really want to work most of your life at jobs you hate, and, compete with your own children, or even your grand children?  I don’t get it.

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

French Strikers Kickin’ Ass, viva Nouvelle Révolution Française!

French strikes continue, should we dare call it Nouvelle Révolution Française?  Even French high school students are going head to head with riot police!  Today, the students have blockaded schools and set fire to cars.  Strikes actually started more than a month ago, and have only gotten bigger, viva les Français!

ATTENTION EDITORS - FRENCH LAW REQUIRES THAT THE FACES OF MINORS ARE MASKED IN PUBLICATIONS WITHIN FRANCE. High school students shout slogans as they block the entrance of the Thiers high school to demonstrate over pension reform in Marseille October 18, 2010. The banner reads High school students on strike . REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier (FRANCE - Tags: EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS EDUCATION CIVIL UNREST)

According to the French news agency, AFP, around 1500 gas stations have run out of fuel.  Workers at 11 of France’s 12 oil refineries have joined the country wide strike, protesting a two year raise in retirement.

French striking workers block the entrance of the oil refinery of Grandpuits, east of Paris, October 18 , 2010. France started to tap its industry strategic reserves as a growing number of pumps in French petrol stations were drying up on Monday at the start of a second week of action by refinery and port strikers to block fuel supplies over an unpopular pension reform bill. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE - Tags: CIVIL UNREST EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS ENERGY)

On Sunday French truck drivers joined the strike, blocking the country’s major highways.  Half of all airline flights in and out of France have been canceled.

French striking truck drivers demonstrate over pension reform on a motorway near Fresnes-les-Montauban, northern France, October 18, 2010. French truck drivers staged go-slow operations on highways, rail strikes intensified and petrol stations ran out of fuel on Monday as protests gathered pace ahead of a Senate vote on an unpopular pension overhaul. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (FRANCE - Tags: CIVIL UNREST EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS TRANSPORT)

This is a major event taking place in Europe, with implications for the United States, yet, the U.S. Media is barely covering it.  Why?  Maybe it’s because the Corporate Controlled U.S. Media, and our Government, doesn’t want us getting any ideas?

The amazing thing is that the French are striking over a proposed two year increase to their retirement age, it hasn’t even become law.  Actually the retirement age issue is the final straw for most French.  They’re tired of constantly getting screwed over by their leaders.  Which brings me to my point, again, what’s up America?  We’ve endured so much more hyperbole here in the United States, yet where is the public outrage?

Maybe Americans are waiting for November elections to see change.  Idiots!  How many generations of Americans have played that losing game?  History shows that we the People have only gotten screwed over and over by our so called leaders!

Thomas Jefferson, a founder of the United States, and our 3rd President, warned:  “Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly prove a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing [a people] to slavery.” —Thomas Jefferson: Rights of British America, 1774. (*) ME 1:193, Papers 1:125

Wake Up America!