• ccunix@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    7 months ago

    The problem is that the french workers going on strike has basically become a meme. Look at Canteloup’s Monsieur Regis character. SNCF go on strike for fun and no one really knows why.

    The last major strikes were because of the retirement age raising to 62. The rest of the world looked on and thought “I’d love to retire at the age you are all complaining about”. Hell, I don’t even WANT to retire at 62! What will I do with myself?

    • gaael@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      7 months ago

      I agree with the part about french workers on strike becoming a meme, but I wanna stress that it didn’t happen by itself.

      It’s the result of voluntary and sound political strategies from our (economically) liberal governments.
      Step 1: “let’s make a very offensive law proposition”
      Step 2: workers go on strike.
      Step 3: “okay let’s take back the worst point and still applythe rest”
      Step 4: workers’ lives are worst despite the strike and the unions lose power and credibility
      Sprinkle in the fact that most media were bought by billionaires who aren’t too fond of workers’ rights, a few corrupt union leaders and you get the current situation.

      It’s interesting that you mention SNCF (state-owned - for now - french railway) because the always make the reason of their strikes clear and (spoiler) it’s never for fun. But when strikes occur, most of the media interview people who wanted to go to work/on holiday by train and can’t because of the strike, “economists” who rant about the hundreds of k€ losses for businesses because of the strike, some ass***e from the government who stated “we think the right of strike and protest is very important, but not when it bothers other people” and never the union’s heads or the sociologists who can explain how the previous laws have made life worse for the rail workers and how the current one is gonna be worst.