Industrial action in France (1 Viewer)

[Pia]

For those of you over there in France.....it is supposed to start today and the North west of France is apparently expecting to be the worst affected by this action. We're travelling down through France mid October but may change our plans depending on how things go.

 

[SpeedyDux]

La Belle France we all love so much because the paysans are always revolting!

 

[LuckyLuke]

Fuel has gone up a touch in price in the last week (but still loads cheaper than the UK) but that's it. Turnout was much lower than 2016 and even then fuel flowed pretty quickly. The government is rapidly mobilising Gendarmes to protect access to key infrastructure such as refineries.
This web site lists all the strikes http://www.cestlagreve.fr/ - next lorry drivers strike is 10th Oct. General public opinion does not seem to be with them as a lot of the younger generations see it as old men trying to protect privileges and expecting the young to pay for them - for example lorry drivers currently 'retire' at 55yrs old and then get 75% of their salary for the next 10 years until their formal retirement age. The majority know that that sort of gold plated retirement fund is just not sustainable given the extending life expectancy, and needs, therefore to be renegotiated.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[EX51SSS]

for example lorry drivers currently 'retire' at 55yrs old and then get 75% of their salary for the next 10 years until their formal retirement age. The majority know that that sort of gold plated retirement fund is just not sustainable given the extending life expectancy, and needs, therefore to be renegotiated.

Surely that's in their contract and it'll be their employers, not the state that pays out the pensions.
Many countries have, what we consider, unsustainable pensions. Greece being the prime example

 

[LuckyLuke]

Surely that's in their contract and it'll be their employers, not the state that pays out the pensions.
Many countries have, what we consider, unsustainable pensions. Greece being the prime example

Pensions work differently in France compared to the UK. In France your state pension is much more like a company pension scheme in the UK but it falls under state rules and contributions go via state funds with national government guarantees. Contributions rates and benefits are defined centrally and you can't opt out. The French generally pay a lot more into the pension than the equivalent person in the UK and as a result pensions over here a more generous than the UK state pensions. If you are interested you can find out more here http://www.cleiss.fr/docs/regimes/regime_france/an_3.html

 

[EX51SSS]

Pensions work differently in France compared to the UK. In France your state pension is much more like a company pension scheme in the UK but it falls under state rules and contributions go via state funds with national government guarantees. Contributions rates and benefits are defined centrally and you can't opt out. The French generally pay a lot more into the pension than the equivalent person in the UK and as a result pensions over here a more generous than the UK state pensions. If you are interested you can find out more here http://www.cleiss.fr/docs/regimes/regime_france/an_3.html

In the end, isn't that a French problem rather than a UK problem?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[LuckyLuke]

In the end, isn't that a French problem rather than a UK problem?

Ok - the thread was started to discuss the impact of the strikes on life in France as a funster wondered about whether it might affect their travel plans in France.

I live in France so I responded to say so far there has been very little impact of the strikes in France. Rather than just saying that there had been little impact I thought it might be helpful to explain why - and then went on to explain some of the background as to the reason is the strikes are not that well supported in France, I thought this might give some helpful context to help a Funster who was planning to travel to France to help him plan. You then made a sweeping and incorrect statement about French pensions rules as you applied the British rules to a French pension issue. I then tried to gently point out that you can't apply British rules and assumptions to the rules in France and tried to give you a brief summary of the differences in pension rules in France compared to the Uk.

Apologies for not being clearer - I hope it is now clear why I introduced a comment about French pension arrangements into a discussion about French strikes, which are being held, to complain about, amongst other this, French pension reforms. I would agree that if you are planning to never travel to France it is indeed a French problem not a British one, but if like the original poster, if you are British and planning to travel to France, it then becomes your problem

 

[EX51SSS]

Ok - the thread was started to discuss the impact of the strikes on life in France as a funster wondered about whether it might affect their travel plans in France.

I live in France so I responded to say so far there has been very little impact of the strikes in France. Rather than just saying that there had been little impact I thought it might be helpful to explain why - and then went on to explain some of the background as to the reason is the strikes are not that well supported in France, I thought this might give some helpful context to help a Funster who was planning to travel to France to help him plan. You then made a sweeping and incorrect statement about French pensions rules as you applied the British rules to a French pension issue. I then tried to gently point out that you can't apply British rules and assumptions to the rules in France and tried to give you a brief summary of the differences in pension rules in France compared to the Uk.

Apologies for not being clearer - I hope it is now clear why I introduced a comment about French pension arrangements into a discussion about French strikes, which are being held, to complain about, amongst other this, French pension reforms. I would agree that if you are planning to never travel to France it is indeed a French problem not a British one, but if like the original poster, if you are British and planning to travel to France, it then becomes your problem

 

[LuckyLuke]

@EX51SSS No probs - as I said I should have been clearer why I was listing off French pension rules - seemed completely obvious to me at the time, but its hopefully a lot easier to understand the logic when I put in my full thought processes rather than assuming you can read my mind!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pia]

I would agree that if you are planning to never travel to France it is indeed a French problem not a British one, but if like the original poster, if you are British and planning to travel to France, it then becomes your problem

I started this discussion and thank you @LuckyLuke I've enjoyed reading your contribution, one can never be too well informed and I find it interesting to hear abut cultural/social/political/economic differences in the world in general and Europe in particular. We have now booked our Eurotunnel ticket for 14th October and are looking forward to our drive down through the beautiful French countryside. I love the EU and look forward to spending the next 4 months there around and about in France, Spain and Portugal.