Further on the issue of the left-wing Guardian having the last word on the French election and the 35-hour law:
Anders Hayden wrote: > Although the increase in the overtime quota is not good news for shorter work > time in France, I think the Guardian is being rather over-dramatic in talking > about the "death knell" and the "end of the working hours revolution." It is > interesting that the article in today's Le Monde focuses largely on the > disappointment of the employers' federation (Medef) over the lack of a more > fundamental attack on the 35-hour week. The Guardian article makes it sound like > the 35-hour week is over, but in fact 35 hours remains the legal standard > workweek. How much the increase in allowable overtime will change things in > practice is hard to tell at this point -- a lot will depend on negotiations > between employers and unions in each sector. It will be very difficult to undo > all the existing 35-hour agreements, and I don't believe that's the government's > intention. It knows that many of its own supporters -- such as white-collar > workers -- like the 35-hour week and all the extra long-weekends it gave many > people. That's why it never sought a mandate during the election to end the > 35-hour week, only to make it more "flexible." As I said, this is not good news, > but not quite as dramatic as portrayed in the article.
