French students revolt

Over the past few days I've been following news from France where students in Universities, and now high schools have been mounting demonstrations against a new employment law that the Prime Minister, Villepin, is trying to push through. There was even a sit in at the Sorbonne in Paris...the students were eventually taken forcefully out by police in full riot gear. There's going to be huge demonstrations tomorrow with students and young people traveling from all over the country to Paris to participate. Basically, this new plan was set up in an attempt to try and create options for employers that would make it easier to hire more young people (this being an attempt to help resolve major issues that came out with the rioting months ago)...however, the program puts into place options for employers that do not at all favor the employee. One of the major issues is that the employee (this is applicable for anyone 26 years of age and younger I believe) is placed on a two year contract which states that at any time during the first two years of employment, the employer can fire the employee without giving a reason, nor does the employer need to give any sort of notice..one day your working and the next your not.

If you can read French, here are some sites with info for and against this new employment plan:

Movement des Jeunes Socialistes

UNI

And here's an article in english for those of you who can't read French but might be interested:

Seattle PI

It's been interesting to follow this issue...it reminds me just how lame the US is in terms of how citizens interact with government and politics...I know that France is a smaller country and all that, but really. I can't imagine the youth of the US rising up and demanding better employment rights if something like this happened here. And these demonstrations that have already taken place, and are being planned are having an effect...politicians are responding and there is a dialogue and interaction between citizens and government. From experience I know that the French take their politics very seriously and they would never stand for a government that did not allow them to be vocal in what they stand for...or for that government to ignore them. Of course some of what has been going down in France with the students has been violent, but then again that doesn't surprise me much either...the French Revolution comes to mind. Although, apparently there had been a week of peaceful demonstrations with no attention being paid so the students decided to force the issue. We'll see where this all goes.