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201 Comments
- Floodle, on 03/19/2009, -17/+58It makes a change to see a nation of people willing to stand up for themselves
- thcobbs, on 03/19/2009, -10/+48And stick their hands out.
- EarlOfLade, on 03/19/2009, -6/+43Americans needs to remember that unions in Europe and unions in USA are like night and day. European unions are highly organized on national level and anchored in political ideology. They are not criminal enterprises as unions often have been here in the US, ref Jimmy Hoffa and his union.
And corporations has no say in whether you can become member of a union or not. Unions are workers political organizations and are counter weights to the employers similar organizations. - JaseFace, on 03/19/2009, -8/+44French unions are on strike. What else is new?
I mean, really, this isn't that huge of a deal. - Rioracer916, on 03/19/2009, -2/+36Well the article says that people in France are upset that the government is giving banks and corporations hand outs for their failures, meanwhile individuals have to lose their jobs and starve in the streets as a result. Y'know kind of like what is happening over here.
But on Digg sensationalized comments are the name of the game. We're not supposed to like the French, check. Giving away money is only good when it is to failed companies, check. We complain about the same things these French people are protesting about, except we don't actaully physically stand up for ourselves and make our voices heard to the people in power, check.
Well, I've broken at least 3 unspoken rules here, so I'm dugg down. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the US government was half as scared of pissing off the people as the French government is? It seems like over here, it is the opposite situation. - donte, on 03/19/2009, -5/+38Yeah... I'm curious as to what prompted this one. Were they being asked to work more than 20 hours a week? Vacation time being cut back to just 6 weeks? Employers were starting to fire people when they didn't do their jobs at a satisfactory level? New rules against spitting in Americans' food? It's Thursday?
This is a pretty common occurrence. - digggggggggg, on 03/19/2009, -3/+33Here in America, if you don't like your job, you don't strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way.
- jstohler, on 03/19/2009, -12/+38It's funny that their response to the economic crisis is to work less.
Let us know how that turns out for you. - EricSchC1, on 03/19/2009, -13/+39Anyone else think we need to do that here in the US, only with paying taxes?
- inactive, on 03/19/2009, -13/+38We need to learn from the french.. this is democracy in action. We don't need unions to strike.
- duncan202, on 03/19/2009, -2/+22Employers don't create jobs? Then who does.. the job fairy?
- browe07, on 03/19/2009, -8/+28"They want him to increase the minimum wage and scrap his plans to cut public-sector jobs."
Increasing the minimum wage will increase unemployment. - CrankMyBlueSax, on 03/19/2009, -10/+29What happens if both sides surrender?
- IAmTheGuy, on 03/19/2009, -1/+19I have read your comment at least 10 times and still don't understand it.
- d3dm, on 03/19/2009, -2/+19What I'm curious about is are you required to join a union in Europe in order to be employed?
There are certain states in the US where you don't have a choice in joining a union if you want to work. I believe that's wrong and should be up to the individual employee, but I'm curious if it's the same way in the EU? - atm259, on 03/19/2009, -0/+17As much as everyone bashes France for being "pussies"and all that, I respect them. Because in the end, they are nation who is not afraid of their government, and who takes to the streets when they are pissed. I admire that in a nation. If only the US would follow France's lead...
- kaelyiesta, on 03/19/2009, -2/+19Work is valuable only insofar as you receive what you think is proper compensation for it. As the article states, these strikers think that governments are enacting policies that provide benefits to banks at the expense of the citizens of france. Stopping this behavior is worth more to them than what they are currently being given at their jobs.
Nation wide strikes are a wonderful tool to stop politicians in their tracks. It scares the ***** out of them when the wheels of business stop turning. Of course that doesn't mean that the strikers demands are a good idea, but like any tool, it can be improperly wielded. - soccerman90, on 03/19/2009, -6/+22anyone who has taken a macro economics class knows raising minimum wage increases unemployment
if you are being paid to do a job for $5 an hour and minimum wage is raised to $7 an hour. if your job isnt worth $7 an hour to the employer they are going to fire you - URVoiceOfReason, on 03/19/2009, -1/+17There is a reason the corporate elite work so hard to make us hate France. If more Americans had the balls the French do we could overthrow the corrupt government and give the power back to the people.
- duncan202, on 03/19/2009, -7/+23Let you in on a secret.. the government doesn't really create jobs.
- davidg11, on 03/19/2009, -6/+21Let them eat cake!
Sorry...make that
Qu'ils mangent de la brioche! - meruru, on 03/19/2009, -2/+16Reported for what? Disagreeing with you? Calm down dude.
- duncan202, on 03/19/2009, -0/+14What is wrong? I'm curious as to what the perceived problem is?
Not being a dick, I'm just asking. - tgc1, on 03/19/2009, -0/+12It's actually quite clever. If you withhold taxes from the government you probably go to jail. Whereas if you refuse to work, they can't do anything and the economy can be brought to a stand still. The government doesn't get any taxes from people who don't work. Think about that.
- DankBuddz, on 03/19/2009, -3/+15Oh, you must have forgot that if it wasn't for the French, the US wouldn't exist.
Funny how your memory only reminds you of things that give you a boner because you think you're better than someone else because of the place you were randomly born at.
Ignorant *****. - JellyFish62, on 03/19/2009, -9/+2060 000 people in the town where I demonstrated today, 120 000 in Marseille and probably twice as many or three times more in Paris. It's getting serious and it's time the government realizes what's wrong.
- inactive, on 03/19/2009, -5/+14Did they cut your 4 hour lunch break to only 3 hours?
- Gregfr, on 03/19/2009, -0/+9You absolutely don't have to join a union to work in France, in fact very few people are unionized here, less than 10%. But unions still manage to make many people demonstrate. You don't have to be unionized to be on strike and demonstrate.
- soccerman90, on 03/19/2009, -4/+12not if but when
- richgustavson, on 03/19/2009, -4/+12BUT I'M LE TIRRRRRED
- bmcnally, on 03/19/2009, -0/+8You mean that the entire world is struggling with financial hardship, yet some people are glad they still have jobs?
- GovernmentsGun, on 03/19/2009, -8/+16MORE FREE STUFF
MORE FREE STUFF
MORE FREE STUFF
MORE FREE STUFF - thcobbs, on 03/19/2009, -7/+15Cubicle, I've worked since I was 15. I've worked ***** jobs, got a good education, and now I have a good job and strong work ethic. All people need is opportunity. If they don't do anything with it, how's it my responsibility to drag their ass through life?
I earned my opportunities, and through planning and preparation, I've made something out of myself. I wasn't given *****. - diggduggDOOM, on 03/19/2009, -2/+10"criminal enterprises as unions often have been here in the US"
What do you mean by often?
"Unions are workers political organizations and are counter weights to the employers similar organizations."
I don't see how this is different than the US. - Lamtd, on 03/19/2009, -0/+7@munawarali2:
"You're blessed to live in the Strongest Economy in the world. You are blessed to have a stable household which allowed you to get an education. Working hard doens't get you ***** in Somalia, or Sudan or France."
How much do you know about France exactly? I live there and I also more than doubled my salary in the last 5 years by working hard. Besides, you have to be quite illiterate to compare France to Somalia or Sudan. - pxmm, on 03/19/2009, -2/+9@thecobbs
Again, you're falling into the trap of assuming that because you are ok then everyone else should be too.
This causes some incorrect assumptions, like this one:
"If you have to pay bills, get off your ass and get a job. Any job." etc
I see statements like this bandied about a lot, and they all completely miss the point that if there are more workers than jobs then this is simply impossible unless you acquiesce to the idea that as long as you are ok then screw everyone else. - kaelyiesta, on 03/19/2009, -2/+9I like my middle managers. I played rock band with a few of them last friday.
- cubicledrone, on 03/19/2009, -2/+9"if your job isnt worth $7 an hour to the employer"
Your job is worth zero to the employer. They want you to work for free so they can keep all the money for themselves. So they pay you the smallest possible amount for as long as they can, and then when they are forced to pay you more they fire you.
See "Disney Animators" for proof.
There, I just summarized the economy from 1972 to the present. - themadrammer, on 08/18/2009, -0/+7@thcobbs:
You're blessed to live in the Strongest Economy in the world. You are blessed to have a stable household which allowed you to get an education. Working hard doens't get you ***** in Somalia, or Sudan or France. - Bainemo, on 03/19/2009, -3/+9Why don't people negotiate BEFORE they strike? Strikes are a bargaining chip, not a weapon.
- duncan202, on 03/19/2009, -1/+7I have to agree with thcobbs... I'm a programmer and my wife and I both make pretty good money, but both understand that if one of us loses a job then they need to find another one even if that means working at IKEA for 9 bucks and hour. (which I've done in the past to make ends meet.. that's right I worked TWO jobs.) Everyday on my way home I see all sorts of places hiring as long as your not an ass enough to think your too good for them.
- bixel, on 03/19/2009, -0/+6I concur.
- JCEEZ, on 03/19/2009, -0/+6OK OK OK,
After reading a lot of these comments I have to say something!
First of all, if there are only 8 million jobs but there are 10 million people (as someone above used as an example), which 2 million will be out of a job? The 2 million least desirable people.
I think anyone that has not had a lot, worked hard and got a piece get really mad when people bitch about.. not-enough-opportunities.... You know what make opportunities more plentiful? Yourself. Not to sound like a poster in a class room, but life is 10% what you have, and 90% what you do with it. While I am more then happy to pay higher taxes for better schools, roads, health coverage for others etc, I am not OK with people demanding higher pay for the same job they have been (or someone else has been doing) for the last 5 years. A garbage man is going to get paid what a garbage man gets paid. A programmer, that knows more languages should be paid more then one who programs in pascal etc. If your job is getting outsourced because someone is willing to do it cheaper, you either have to understand that you will be paid less / unemployed, or learn a new skill. If your company isn’t doing too hot, understand that you may be out of a job soon, and it’s time to start learning something new. If you get laid off and your surprised, then you probably should have been paying closer attention to the marketplace and your company.
Wise man once told me, the most valuable thing you can do at any job, is create work for yourself and others. - inactive, on 03/19/2009, -12/+18If "card check" goes through you'll see an enormous increase in unions in the USA...
...and strikes like this will become commonplace. - haloplayer9672, on 03/19/2009, -3/+9The last time they rioted, wasn't it because Sarkozy wanted to get rid of the law that stated new employees were immune to firings for three years or something like that? They are so used to Government hand outs that when it cuts the cord on ridiculous programs, the people get very upset.
- CrankMyBlueSax, on 03/19/2009, -1/+7Ooooooh, internet tough guy.
- Gino86, on 03/19/2009, -0/+6Qu'ils mangent du gateau*!
Sorry i had an urge to fix it :S - bixel, on 03/19/2009, -0/+5works for me.
- xadhominemx, on 03/19/2009, -1/+6DankBuddz, successful people like thcobbs create opportunities for themselves.
- DankBuddz, on 03/19/2009, -1/+6Sorry that not everyone is blessed with the opportunities you have thcobbs.
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