Anti-Unionism in France (there's hope yet)

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-06-29 02:32am

I found it heartwarming. Sanity still exists in France.

Sabine Herold, 21, has been called France's answer to Margaret Thatcher. Alice Thomson brought her to London and showed her the sights

Sabine is my new French exchange partner. She is a political science student, very beautiful and speaks perfect English. She has also just become the most famous 21-year-old in France.

Dubbed France's Lady Thatcher by the newspapers, Mademoiselle Herold has been leading the rallies against the unions who have been crippling her country. Standing on a telephone box in her pearl earrings and high heels, she addresses crowds of 80,000, urging them to rise up against the striking teachers, Metro workers, rubbish collectors and air traffic controllers who are ruining people's lives. With her student friends, she has set up an organisation: Liberte J'Ecris Ton Nom, which has thousands of members, demanding that France reforms.

Now, she wants to come to Britain. Her email is simple: "I would like to spend my time meeting politicians. I don't wear jeans; I like red meat; please could I bring a camera crew?"

Here, she has been called Joan of Arc. "That is stupid," she says. "I love Britain. I love Margaret Thatcher. I love the way you have overcome the unions and are not afraid to privatise. I love the way you work so hard. In France, we have become lazy and staid. We think only of weekends, holidays and how great we once were. We need a dose of Thatcherism."

She doesn't want to go to Wimbledon. "No, I am here to work. Margaret Thatcher lived on five hours' sleep; so can I."

As it is Sunday afternoon when she arrives, I explain that most politicians are in their constituencies. "Well, maybe I have time to shop," she says. Going down Oxford Street, she is thrilled. "All your shops are open. In France, nothing is allowed to open on a Sunday."

She has been to Britain before - as an exchange student in Birmingham for a year, where she earned extra money as a "dinner lady" in a canteen. Was the food awful? "No - in France, our supermarkets close at 6pm, so I never get there in time. In Birmingham, the supermarkets stayed open all night, and I cooked myself delicious suppers. My hobby is cooking five-course dinner parties to relax."

Back on Oxford Street, she wants to go to the cheapest stores. "Our Left-wing newspapers say that I must be rich not to champion the workers. They say I dress only in Hermes. But my coat is from Etam. My mother is a school teacher who refuses to strike, my father a professor. My brother is a table-tennis player. We are from a small village near Reims. We work hard but I have no family money."

Next, she wants to go to Speakers' Corner. In one corner, a Christian is ranting against sex in public lavatories; in another, a Muslim is sounding off against the Iraq war. "In France," says Sabine, "we have no freedom of expression. Being different is frowned upon. Everyone must conform. I want to give power back to individuals."

At supper, she meets three of the youngest high-flying Tory MPs: Boris Johnson, MP for Henley; David Cameron, MP for Witney; and George Osborne, MP for Tatton. She is smitten. They start talking about the 48-hour working week. "In France, it is 35 hours - ludicrous, no?" George Orwell's Animal Farm, she tells them, was the first political tract she ever read. "It blew me away. In France, communism is not a dirty word - many of the trade unions are openly communist. Being Right-wing and libertarian is considered dangerous."

She asks them for advice on addressing crowds of 80,000. "After 10 minutes of shouting, I lose my voice," she says. They explain that they have never addressed rallies that large, and are more used to village fetes. "But you must," she says. "It is the most exciting thing in the world, getting up in front of a huge crowd. I have had a few threatening letters, and I have two student bodyguards, but it is worth it for the adrenalin."

They suggest whisky, explaining that this is what Margaret Thatcher drank. "I will try some," she says, taking a sip. She nearly chokes, but keeps going. "Very earthy," she says. "In France, we are told that British Conservatives are all stuffy reactionaries. But you're very open-minded. You shall be my pen friends."

The next day, we go to the Palace of Westminster. We take the Jubilee line which, amazingly, is extremely prompt, clean and efficient. "In Paris, I never know whether I will get to my lectures on time. The crowds who joined our rallies are young, working people who have had enough of their lives being disrupted by workers who are just greedy for more money, more pensions and less work."

David Cameron takes her on a guided tour of the Palace, where one of his constituents recognises her. "Aren't you the new Margaret Thatcher?" she says. Sabine is amazed. She wants to touch the foot of Winston Churchill for luck. "I have studied his speeches, they are incredible," she says.

We arrive at the paintings of the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Waterloo. "It is a pity that France and England still fight," she says. "President Chirac was spineless over the war. I led a pro-war rally. I almost collapsed in shock when I heard he was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. It was Saddam Hussein's regime, not President Bush's, that was despicable. I adore France. I will never leave - I love my cafes too much - but that does not mean I hate Britain or America."

Lord Deedes takes her to lunch in the Lords, where she orders steak (English beef) and chips. "I don't have to call them freedom fries, do I?" She has no problem with McDonald's, either: "The French should be allowed to eat them if they want, even though they taste disgusting."

She asks him if he ever met Friedrich Hayek, her favourite philosopher (and Margaret Thatcher's). Lord Deedes explains that he gave Hayek his first typewriter after he had commissioned him to write an article. Then he talks to her about the General Strike in the Thirties and the miners' strikes in the Seventies and Eighties, assuring her that the moment is right for a woman of her mettle.

Sabine can't believe that, at 90, Lord Deedes has not only been a Cabinet minister, but also a soldier, a newspaper editor and a columnist, as well as being best friends with Denis Thatcher. She has found a new hero. He tells her how to address a large audience: "Never speak on a full stomach - a tankard of champagne is all Anthony Eden needed."

She asks him advice about her career. Should she become a politician straight away, or get a job first? She would love to become an MEP. "But, in France, these pathetic rules mean I am not allowed to until I am 23, so I will miss the next Euro elections by one month." Also, there is now positive discrimination for women who want to go into politics. "And I would hate to be pitied as a token."

In the afternoon, we hear Tony Blair report on the EU summit. The House is rowdy but she insists that our seat of government is not as raucous as it is in France. She is dismayed that her new Tory friends are against further integration with the European Union. "Why take it so seriously? I am a classical liberal, but I am also pro-European. So maybe I wouldn't fit so well into your Tory party."

She admires Mr Blair. "He was very brave in Iraq. But now he is starting to raise taxes, and that is very bad."

We have an hour's gap - would she like to rest? "I would like to go on the London Eye," she says. "Your publicly financed Dome was a fiasco, but your big wheel is an example of private enterprise." On the wheel, she notices all the cranes. "There is so much building work going on in Britain - that is good. Paris is a very beautiful city but it is becoming like a museum."

In the evening, we go to a drinks party with Lord Black, the proprietor of The Daily Telegraph. She is fascinated by William Hague, "the child politician who eventually became leader of the Tory party". She is more cautious about David Blunkett. "Is he a libertarian?"

Lord Powell, Lady Thatcher's former adviser, explains how Britain cracked the unions. He is helped by Michael Howard, the shadow chancellor, who tells her that he was the minister who finally abolished the closed shop. Jonathan Aitken, the former Tory minister, adds a note of caution. "We're not there yet," he explains. "The prison unions still have a vice-like control."

Anji Hunter, Tony Blair's former aide, explains how to get the best out of the unions. Sabine agrees: "I am not anti-union, just anti the communist ones."

The next day, her mother, who "wishes I'd keep my head down", rings to tell her that there has been a big article about her in Liberation, the Left-wing French newspaper. The French press are in a frenzy about her stay in London. Is she being a good ambassador for France? "Of course. It is because I love my country that I want to reform it."

Every 10 minutes, another French cabinet minister is on the phone, asking her to lunch. She explains that, before her first demonstration, politicians were desperate to distance themselves from the student rabble. "Now that they see the rallies are attended by ordinary, fed-up people, rather than nutters, they are all saying they are my best friend - when I haven't even met them. But I think I will meet the Prime Minister."

The stories in our newspapers fascinate her. "What is this anti-smacking law? What is wrong with a quick smack? I thought only the French liked these silly laws. In Finland, men are made to do 40 per cent of the housework. Libertarians in every country should rise up against this madness."

She wants to go to a bookshop. We pass the pile of Harry Potters, but she heads straight for Wilkes and Burke: "Your great writers about freedom". She is surprised by the amount of books that are anti-American. "I thought it was just us. In France, we are taught in school about American imperialism, that all Americans are either fat or work in sweatshops."

Iain Duncan Smith is waiting for her in his office. "My son has just been to an Eminem concert. You can't fight American culture," he tells her.

They get on so well that it looks as though Mr Duncan Smith wishes she were one of his own MPs. He asks her whether she will side with the Right in France. "It is difficult for me with French conservatives," she tells him. "My group is completely liberal, both economically and morally. We support gay marriages, decriminalising soft drugs and prostitution, and decentralisation. But they are paternalistic and into big state government." Mr Duncan Smith gulps.

A French businessman who has offered to finance her group meets her for lunch. Businessmen, he says, are also sick of the unions, but unlike Sabine, they haven't got the guts to say so. She tells him that the unions have stopped protesting for the moment - "But they will be back this autumn after their long holidays, and we must be prepared."

After lunch, we arrive at the Foreign Office to meet Denis MacShane, the Europe minister, who offers her a glass of champagne and speaks immaculate French. From his windows, we watch the state visit of President Putin. "He used to be a communist, no? It is funny to see him surrounded by gold carriages, when his people killed some of your Royal Family."

Denis and Sabine get on famously, agreeing that there is a need for the European constitution. They admit that Le Pen is France's best speaker. "It is such a shame that what he says is so dreadful," says Sabine. As we head for the Eurostar, she is wistful. "I would love to live here, but my place is in France. I want to make us great again.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-06-29 04:23am

Le Pen? Isn't that the Hitler'esque asshole that was nearly elected?

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-06-29 06:29am

Hamel wrote:Le Pen? Isn't that the Hitler'esque asshole that was nearly elected?

Yes he is, but he was hardly nearly elected. He benefited from a division of votes between far too many candidates in the first round, but in the second round an idiot like Chiraq had more than 80% of the votes against him, proving that the french are still a bit sane.

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2003-06-29 07:10am

That chick should read more on Thatcher and be wary of people bearing campain funds. Mind you she is right about France and its attitudes. I would be a shame to see France see its own protectionism ruin it.

Tosho · Post by **Tosho** » 2003-06-29 07:25am

I think I'm in love.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-06-29 11:46am

Hamel wrote:Le Pen? Isn't that the Hitler'esque asshole that was nearly elected?

Fortunately, she doesn't like him.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-06-29 11:51am

What's the French workweek, isn't it under 35 hours now for many jobs?

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-06-29 11:57am

Sea Skimmer wrote:What's the French workweek, isn't it under 35 hours now for many jobs?

Yeah, and anything over 35 hours is illegal.

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-06-29 12:17pm

Durran Korr wrote:
Sea Skimmer wrote:What's the French workweek, isn't it under 35 hours now for many jobs?
Yeah, and anything over 35 hours is illegal.

We should stop calling the French "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" and start calling them "lazy Communists" which is both more relevant and more accurate.

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-06-29 12:18pm

I should have paid more attention if French class so I could work there! 35 hours!

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2003-06-29 06:56pm

Crazy_Vasey wrote:I should have paid more attention if French class so I could work there! 35 hours!

SHIT! My dad works over twice that many hours...

Fuck it, I prefer the respect of my colleagues/clients and a nice fat paycheck to the lazy life. That's what retirement's for...

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-06-29 07:15pm

Shit, pull an all-nighter and you're set for the week.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-06-29 07:21pm

Sorry to interrupt the lovely french bashing, but the 35 hours idea may make sense as a temporary solution in a country where unemployment rounds the two digits figure. Fighting it was the main goal of the law. Also, I will have to check the actual lettering, but AFAIK the law isn't mandatory in private business, only in public service. They encorage the people to work less (and be paid less), they don't force them to.

At any rate, the idiotic french politics are engaged in changing the employment laws following a sane, realistic agenda. The sindicates are blocking all the attempts to do it, though.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-06-29 07:26pm

Vorlon1701 wrote:
Crazy_Vasey wrote:I should have paid more attention if French class so I could work there! 35 hours!
SHIT! My dad works over twice that many hours...

Fuck it, I prefer the respect of my colleagues/clients and a nice fat paycheck to the lazy life. That's what retirement's for...

Your father works too much. 14 hours a day does not allow, for most people, a happy, healthy life. People need time for their families and themselves, beyond a certain level (a confortable living for you and loved ones) money is what matters less.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-06-30 01:15am

Colonel Olrik wrote:
Vorlon1701 wrote:
Crazy_Vasey wrote:I should have paid more attention if French class so I could work there! 35 hours!
SHIT! My dad works over twice that many hours...

Fuck it, I prefer the respect of my colleagues/clients and a nice fat paycheck to the lazy life. That's what retirement's for...
Your father works too much. 14 hours a day does not allow, for most people, a happy, healthy life. People need time for their families and themselves, beyond a certain level (a confortable living for you and loved ones) money is what matters less.

14 hours a day is also a good way to make lots of stupid mistakes from fatigue or weariness. Make a mistake in your 13th hour, you could easily throw away 4 hours of work.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2003-06-30 01:57am

Ah, we're a funny lot here in America. Where it's now considered the height of dignity and freedom to be a loyal company slavey and to be bled white paying through the nose for everything while being worked —for ever increasing hours at diminishing wages— into an early grave.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-06-30 04:07am

Patrick Degan wrote:Ah, we're a funny lot here in America. Where it's now considered the height of dignity and freedom to be a loyal company slavey and to be bled white paying through the nose for everything while being worked —for ever increasing hours at diminishing wages— into an early grave.

Yeah. What I find truly disturbing is people actually wanking off to the thought of this stuff happening.

"PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! FREEDOM! THE RIGHT TO GET FUCKED OVER BY YOUR EMPLOYER!"

*fap fap fap*

Consider also that this woman's role model is Thatcher, who made the claim that societies don't exist.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2003-06-30 05:29pm

Not bad...

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-06-30 08:47pm

Eh, she's a bit too skinny for my tastes.

EmperorChrostas the Cruel · Post by **EmperorChrostas the Cruel** » 2003-06-30 09:20pm

I believe the theory, is to work harder and longer, to get more or what you want. This rattles the envy crowd. Ask Wong how HARD he worked to get where he is. Ask himhow hard he has to work to stay in place, and how much harder he is working to get ahead.
When did this become a bad thing?

Most people that work long hours, do so, to better themselves.
Before you say a 2 incomes are needed to make a go of it, ask your self.

Do I have more than 1 phone, TV, VCR, computer, car, stereo?
Like it or not, poor can get fat, and most of the "needed" toys are pure luxerey.
Talk to your grand parents, about the depression and the true meaning of "needed."
We are gung ho for consumer products, and willing to work extra to get them.

Joke with a meaning. How do you tell the poor American from the rich one? The poor one washes his own car.

The very IDEA of a poor man owning a car can't be related to by most of the world. Our poor live better than the middle class in the shithole 3rd world.
No one on this site is without a net connection, and computer. We are the elite of the world, but see ourselves as "poor."

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me,
A Mercedez Benz,
My Friends, they all drive Porches,
I must make, amends....."

Janice Joplin

Tosho · Post by **Tosho** » 2003-07-01 02:29am

Alex Moon wrote:<snip>

Not bad...

Well I'd rather see her wearing those clothes than Thatcher.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2003-07-01 02:35am

Tosho wrote:
Alex Moon wrote:<snip>

Not bad...
Well I'd rather see her wearing those clothes than Thatcher.

I'd rather see her not wearing those clothes.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2003-07-01 06:10am

EmperorChrostas the Cruel wrote:I believe the theory, is to work harder and longer, to get more or what you want. This rattles the envy crowd. Ask Wong how HARD he worked to get where he is. Ask him how hard he has to work to stay in place, and how much harder he is working to get ahead.
When did this become a bad thing?

That is not the point. Today, more effort is being put forth for less real money and fewer on-the-job benefits for the effort simply to stay even, nevermind to get ahead. My own father, who was a NASA tool engineer in the 60s and 70s, was able to quite comfortably finance the middle-class lifestyle on his paycheque alone without working 14-hour days or a second job. And we had all the nice consumer toys to go along with the deal as well. Of course, his company also provided full insurance benefits and hired enough engineers so that no one man was doing the work of three or four. Which used to be the norm, not the exception.

The rules are very different today —a reality which is not answered by resort to mindless Limbaughisms such as reference to "the envy crowd".

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-07-01 06:30am

EmperorChrostas the Cruel wrote:I believe the theory, is to work harder and longer, to get more or what you want. This rattles the envy crowd. Ask Wong how HARD he worked to get where he is. Ask him how hard he has to work to stay in place, and how much harder he is working to get ahead.
When did this become a bad thing?

I don't quite get what you're saying. It is true that a certain amount of sucess and work is required to live a confortable life. But Mike and his wife clearly consider that money is secondary to other things. That's why his wife chose to stay at home instead of working and duplicating the income. They were not required to do it, lots of couples work while being able to raise their children properly (like my own parents). And I doubt that Mike is an absent father, working 15 hours a day to earn all the money without spending some quality time at home everyday.

My own parents have fully gratifying jobs without giving them overdue time. My mother is a medical doctor and works about 8 hrs/day, my father is a college teacher and works roughly the same. They could earn double the money, but why bother? We don't need more money to be confortable.

It's a pretty fucked up thing to say that you'll rest when you retire. Youth passes too fast to be wasted, even if you live a few decades in retirement a old men life is a poor substitute for all the missed opportunities you had before.

Hobot · Post by **Hobot** » 2003-07-01 06:46am

As I understand it, Europeans work a lot less hours than North Americans and they get more vacation time because when they're at work they actually work. I've seen studies showing that the average person in Canada and the US wastes about 80% of their time on non-work related activities.

My mother worked in Switzerland for 5 years and she says it was qutie a change when she started working in Canada. In Canada, people are always distracted. They'll always say they're busy but most of the time they're just pissing the time away chatting with a coworker. In Switzerland, everyone focused on their jobs and got work done.