France allows dismantling of 35-hour workweek
PARIS — French legislators effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek today by allowing employers to increase working hours

France allows dismantling of 35-hour workweek

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS — French legislators effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek today by allowing employers to increase working hours — and pay — as the country struggles with high unemployment and stagnating living standards.

In a final vote, the National Assembly approved a government-backed bill permitting employers to negotiate deals with staff to increase working time by 220 hours a year in return for better pay.

The bill effectively clears the way for the gradual erosion of the 35-hour week, a flagship policy of the former Socialist-led government that gave many people more time off but added to concerns about France’s declining global competitiveness.

The shorter workweek was introduced on a voluntary basis in 1998 and made compulsory two years later in a bid to force employers to hire more people. But critics argued France’s current 10 per cent jobless rate indicates the policy was a failure.

The National Assembly, controlled by French President Jacques Chirac’s conservatives, approved the new law 350-135. It does not formally abolish the 35-hour workweek but allows employers to offer staff extra working hours at a higher rate of pay.

It also enables workers to sell part of their holiday entitlement back to their employers or put it toward training or early retirement.

In order to apply the changes, however, companies will have to break away from their broad sector-wide agreements with unions — unchanged by the new law — and negotiate deals with their own staff representatives.

This means the effects of the reform will not be seen for some time.

Any such initiatives also could prove unpopular in France’s present economic climate. Almost one million people participated in countrywide strikes and demonstrations earlier this month to protest the change to working time, as well as other threats to workers’ benefits and public sector pay.

Many French workers have become accustomed to taking longer holidays and regular weekdays off under the 35-hour law, and a recent survey by polling agency CSA showed that 56 per cent of salaried employees opposed the bill.

However, job seekers, retirees and unskilled workers approved of the change.

Last year, a parliamentary committee reported that the 35-hour week cost France the equivalent of more than $15.5 billion Cdn a year, casting doubt on a labour ministry study that suggested it had created 350,000 jobs between 1998 and 2002.

Some also argued that the shorter week hurt living standards because employers froze salaries to make up for lost labour.

According to a 2003 OECD survey of 25 industrialized countries, only Norwegian and Dutch employees worked less time each year than the French, who worked an average 1,431 hours. German workers put in 1,446 hours, British 1,673 hours.

March 22, 2005

Toronto Star

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France allows dismantling of 35-hour workweek
PARIS — French legislators effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek today by allowing employers to increase working hours

France allows dismantling of 35-hour workweek

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS — French legislators effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek today by allowing employers to increase working hours — and pay — as the country struggles with high unemployment and stagnating living standards.

In a final vote, the National Assembly approved a government-backed bill permitting employers to negotiate deals with staff to increase working time by 220 hours a year in return for better pay.

The bill effectively clears the way for the gradual erosion of the 35-hour week, a flagship policy of the former Socialist-led government that gave many people more time off but added to concerns about France’s declining global competitiveness.

The shorter workweek was introduced on a voluntary basis in 1998 and made compulsory two years later in a bid to force employers to hire more people. But critics argued France’s current 10 per cent jobless rate indicates the policy was a failure.

The National Assembly, controlled by French President Jacques Chirac’s conservatives, approved the new law 350-135. It does not formally abolish the 35-hour workweek but allows employers to offer staff extra working hours at a higher rate of pay.

It also enables workers to sell part of their holiday entitlement back to their employers or put it toward training or early retirement.

In order to apply the changes, however, companies will have to break away from their broad sector-wide agreements with unions — unchanged by the new law — and negotiate deals with their own staff representatives.

This means the effects of the reform will not be seen for some time.

Any such initiatives also could prove unpopular in France’s present economic climate. Almost one million people participated in countrywide strikes and demonstrations earlier this month to protest the change to working time, as well as other threats to workers’ benefits and public sector pay.

Many French workers have become accustomed to taking longer holidays and regular weekdays off under the 35-hour law, and a recent survey by polling agency CSA showed that 56 per cent of salaried employees opposed the bill.

However, job seekers, retirees and unskilled workers approved of the change.

Last year, a parliamentary committee reported that the 35-hour week cost France the equivalent of more than $15.5 billion Cdn a year, casting doubt on a labour ministry study that suggested it had created 350,000 jobs between 1998 and 2002.

Some also argued that the shorter week hurt living standards because employers froze salaries to make up for lost labour.

According to a 2003 OECD survey of 25 industrialized countries, only Norwegian and Dutch employees worked less time each year than the French, who worked an average 1,431 hours. German workers put in 1,446 hours, British 1,673 hours.

March 22, 2005

Toronto Star

Upcoming Actions & Events

France allows dismantling of 35-hour workweek
PARIS — French legislators effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek today by allowing employers to increase working hours

France allows dismantling of 35-hour workweek

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS — French legislators effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek today by allowing employers to increase working hours — and pay — as the country struggles with high unemployment and stagnating living standards.

In a final vote, the National Assembly approved a government-backed bill permitting employers to negotiate deals with staff to increase working time by 220 hours a year in return for better pay.

The bill effectively clears the way for the gradual erosion of the 35-hour week, a flagship policy of the former Socialist-led government that gave many people more time off but added to concerns about France’s declining global competitiveness.

The shorter workweek was introduced on a voluntary basis in 1998 and made compulsory two years later in a bid to force employers to hire more people. But critics argued France’s current 10 per cent jobless rate indicates the policy was a failure.

The National Assembly, controlled by French President Jacques Chirac’s conservatives, approved the new law 350-135. It does not formally abolish the 35-hour workweek but allows employers to offer staff extra working hours at a higher rate of pay.

It also enables workers to sell part of their holiday entitlement back to their employers or put it toward training or early retirement.

In order to apply the changes, however, companies will have to break away from their broad sector-wide agreements with unions — unchanged by the new law — and negotiate deals with their own staff representatives.

This means the effects of the reform will not be seen for some time.

Any such initiatives also could prove unpopular in France’s present economic climate. Almost one million people participated in countrywide strikes and demonstrations earlier this month to protest the change to working time, as well as other threats to workers’ benefits and public sector pay.

Many French workers have become accustomed to taking longer holidays and regular weekdays off under the 35-hour law, and a recent survey by polling agency CSA showed that 56 per cent of salaried employees opposed the bill.

However, job seekers, retirees and unskilled workers approved of the change.

Last year, a parliamentary committee reported that the 35-hour week cost France the equivalent of more than $15.5 billion Cdn a year, casting doubt on a labour ministry study that suggested it had created 350,000 jobs between 1998 and 2002.

Some also argued that the shorter week hurt living standards because employers froze salaries to make up for lost labour.

According to a 2003 OECD survey of 25 industrialized countries, only Norwegian and Dutch employees worked less time each year than the French, who worked an average 1,431 hours. German workers put in 1,446 hours, British 1,673 hours.

March 22, 2005

Toronto Star

News & Analysis

France allows dismantling of 35-hour workweek
PARIS — French legislators effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek today by allowing employers to increase working hours

France allows dismantling of 35-hour workweek

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS — French legislators effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek today by allowing employers to increase working hours — and pay — as the country struggles with high unemployment and stagnating living standards.

In a final vote, the National Assembly approved a government-backed bill permitting employers to negotiate deals with staff to increase working time by 220 hours a year in return for better pay.

The bill effectively clears the way for the gradual erosion of the 35-hour week, a flagship policy of the former Socialist-led government that gave many people more time off but added to concerns about France’s declining global competitiveness.

The shorter workweek was introduced on a voluntary basis in 1998 and made compulsory two years later in a bid to force employers to hire more people. But critics argued France’s current 10 per cent jobless rate indicates the policy was a failure.

The National Assembly, controlled by French President Jacques Chirac’s conservatives, approved the new law 350-135. It does not formally abolish the 35-hour workweek but allows employers to offer staff extra working hours at a higher rate of pay.

It also enables workers to sell part of their holiday entitlement back to their employers or put it toward training or early retirement.

In order to apply the changes, however, companies will have to break away from their broad sector-wide agreements with unions — unchanged by the new law — and negotiate deals with their own staff representatives.

This means the effects of the reform will not be seen for some time.

Any such initiatives also could prove unpopular in France’s present economic climate. Almost one million people participated in countrywide strikes and demonstrations earlier this month to protest the change to working time, as well as other threats to workers’ benefits and public sector pay.

Many French workers have become accustomed to taking longer holidays and regular weekdays off under the 35-hour law, and a recent survey by polling agency CSA showed that 56 per cent of salaried employees opposed the bill.

However, job seekers, retirees and unskilled workers approved of the change.

Last year, a parliamentary committee reported that the 35-hour week cost France the equivalent of more than $15.5 billion Cdn a year, casting doubt on a labour ministry study that suggested it had created 350,000 jobs between 1998 and 2002.

Some also argued that the shorter week hurt living standards because employers froze salaries to make up for lost labour.

According to a 2003 OECD survey of 25 industrialized countries, only Norwegian and Dutch employees worked less time each year than the French, who worked an average 1,431 hours. German workers put in 1,446 hours, British 1,673 hours.

March 22, 2005

Toronto Star