THE CPE
Well I just thought I’d better reassure you all that I haven’t been carted off by the riot police for taking part in the violent demonstrations gripping Paris (and indeed France) at the moment.
As you know, French people will demonstrate at the drop of a hat and so, true to form, the students have been out of the streets and barricading the Sorbonne to voice their opposition to a new youth employment law – the CPE (contrat de premier embauche or first job contract).
In essence, the government used emergency measures to push through this CPE which would allow employers to take on the under-26s for a two-year period and yet retain the right to dismiss them at any time within this period.
Now, I might not grasp all the economic and political nuances of our own legal system but this sounds a lot like our ‘probation period’ to me which I think applies to everyone in Britain, not just to the under-26s. So maybe someone could explain what exactly is their problem?
Anyway, the last games of the VI Nations are about to start so sssshhh …
As you know, French people will demonstrate at the drop of a hat and so, true to form, the students have been out of the streets and barricading the Sorbonne to voice their opposition to a new youth employment law – the CPE (contrat de premier embauche or first job contract).
In essence, the government used emergency measures to push through this CPE which would allow employers to take on the under-26s for a two-year period and yet retain the right to dismiss them at any time within this period.
Now, I might not grasp all the economic and political nuances of our own legal system but this sounds a lot like our ‘probation period’ to me which I think applies to everyone in Britain, not just to the under-26s. So maybe someone could explain what exactly is their problem?
Anyway, the last games of the VI Nations are about to start so sssshhh …
posted by yatje at 1:29 pm
2 Comments:
i think it is because these european nations actually have a tradition of citizen rights (rather than the dispensations made to us mere subjects) and will protest at the gentle erosion of them (unlike us indifferent brits) treating all changes as the thin edge of the wedge that they invariable are. I mean some places even demonstrate over parking machines - vive les proles I say!
ah yes, silly, naïve, apathetic, little 'subject', me! long live the revolution!
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