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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

French Senate OKs retirement reform in tense vote

World Oct. 23, 2010 - 06:01AM JST ( 8 )

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8 Comments

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TimRussertOct. 23, 2010 - 08:35AM JST

“It is not troublemakers who will have the last word in a democracy,” Sarkozy told officials in central France, promising to find and punish rioters.

Touche.
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MadvertsOct. 23, 2010 - 09:58PM JST

Well, the selfishness is over. Back to "work" all you that have it best whilst the rest of us carry on grafting.

I must admit it tickled me to read this morning the union leaders are petrified that next week's holidays will stop the grèves momentum. Heh, nowhere else in the world has a strike been aborted in lieu of holidays.

Vivre la France......
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presto345Oct. 24, 2010 - 12:05AM JST

People get older and older and want to work less and less becoming more and more a burden on social welfare, saddling their offspring with their blind egocentric attitude.

But French unions say retirement at 60 is a hard-earned right

It is not and workers should be grateful they had jobs into that age.
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Bebert61Oct. 24, 2010 - 05:40AM JST

The problem is, a lot of the young people don't want to work either. They can live comfortably on public assistance. So the people that* do* work have to pay for these retirees for 30 years and the young deadbeats. The only thing working in France's favor is that they have a state health care system, therefore people are more likely to die if they get sick. For example, a couple of years ago a large number of old people died of heat exhaustion because most of the doctors were on summer vacation.
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MadvertsOct. 24, 2010 - 07:51PM JST

"The problem is, a lot of the young people don't want to work either. They can live comfortably on public assistance"

Exactly. And it's three generations of people that do not want to work. Let me know when they're organizing a strike against this and I'll be the first in the street.

What's sad is the only thing I can see that will change this frightening tradition is a good old fashioned conflict.
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m5c32Oct. 25, 2010 - 12:47PM JST

I'm glad to see the politicians in France did not take the easy but ultimately foolish choice and pander to "what the people (unions) want".

They are not easy choices, but French society staved off future economic difficulties with this mild change.

With people living longer it's just mathematically necessary to either raise the retirement age or cut the benefits of it. With a graying population, it makes more sense to keep people working longer into their lives.

Besides, it's not unnatural. People of yesteryear never had "retirements" they just worked less or if they had the means sought out other interests. The idea of idling one's life away after some artificial chronological measure is quite modern and unnatural. Now, I;m not saying toil in the fields and work in factories till you drop. Just saying remain an active member of society and contribute to it as your body allows.
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MadvertsOct. 25, 2010 - 09:20PM JST

"but French society staved off future economic difficulties with this mild change."

I don't think the bill went anywhere near far enough. Sarkozy will be voted out the next elections come what may, he should have bumped this up to 65 whilst they he a chance....

And threatened to cut off or drasticaly reduce long term layabout's hand-outs.
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m5c32Oct. 27, 2010 - 01:56PM JST

I don't think the bill went anywhere near far enough.

Maybe, but there have to be other structural changes before they can make more drastic moves with regard to retirement and LT UB.

I think in some cases you just have to do it in steps --let people absorb the change, figure that it didn't set them into a tailspin and make more changes when the time comes. 'Course, it would require someone with steely resolve. Some things needs tipping points.