Monday, April 03, 2006

The CPE is definitely the topic of the moment round here. In the metro, on the way back from rollerblading with Tanya, a couple of guys were discussing it. I read in The (very economically liberal) Economist that the 'French elite' haven’t explained the need for change well enough to the populace (!) and that there’s no more risk to the CPE than exists for the populace, anyway, these days. I think there may be some truth in the latter, but that doesn’t make people any happier round here about increasing liberalization in the workplace.

As it happens, the guy I work for and I are actually hiring at the moment - I get to see what a real French boss thinks of the whole deal, in these troubled times. His approach seems to have shifted – with the prevailing mood? So, whereas a month or so ago, he was remarking how it would be easier and more flexible working with someone new, now he says 'oh yeah, we wouldn't get very good people that way....'

Lots of people think 'the streets' are going to win, and I think it looks like it.

On a side note, this same boss just accepted the resignation of one of my colleagues. He's talented and leaving at a crucial moment, but there was - when I witnessed the exchange - no hostility whatsoever, when it came to negotiating leaving bonuses. I can imagine in an Anglo-Saxon context lots of recrimination at such a critical moment, with us being left 'in the lurch'. I just don't think these two guys, business-minded as they are, bother to see it that way. So things will continue, with or without the the CPE.

1 Comments:

Blogger Tanya said...

I haven't read the Economist article yet but you've got me intrigued. It sounds more than a bit condescending, doesn't it - that the elite just needs to explain to everyone what's going on so that the hoi polloi will understand and calm down!

7:03 AM  

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