What the f**k France - Les Grèves

You might remember back in January we posted Paul’s sketch on ‘La Bise’. now he has his own channel!

http://www.survivefrance.com/t/british-comedian-paul-taylor-talks-us-tongue-in-cheek-through-la-bise/489

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Brilliant - I’ve subscribed to his Youtube channel immediately :slight_smile:

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Welcome back Seeemon!

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Ugghhh…(not a fan)…f*******g awful !

It was just ever so slightly tongue in cheek HJD.

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Ghastly loud,‘in your face’, not well produced, not remotely funny…horrible ‘twerp’…just go away…don’t encourage these people…end of story as far as I am concerned. You wont be able to persuade me other wise…Yuck !.

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You should select ‘muted’ from the options below @Hilary_Jane_Dunk otherwise you will be notified everytime someone comments!

thanks James,
I don’t want to hear/read any more about ‘the Kim Kardashion of Comedy’ …about as awful as that ghastly thing on TV (which shouldn’t be on mainstream channels at all)…‘Fleabag’,…‘Look at Me, …look at me’ .stuff…no discernible talent, just out to make a 'fast overpaid, TV buck)…

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I just don’t find this guy funny. I have read all the books by Stephen Clarke about life in France, and he IS hilarious… this kid… not so much.Just another lousy vlogger.

Aslo, strikes and manifs are not as simple as people seem to think. Of course, some strikes (mostly fonctionnaire) are ridiculous, but others can be well needed when mediation breaks down. I have never been on strike, but I have been to demonstrations regarding issues that are important to me, mostly with motorcyclist issues, and fair enough, we block up the roads for ten minutes, but sometimes, when the government’s boot is to your throat, you really feel like it’s the choice between those ten minutes, or just lie down and let a steam-roller flatten you out.

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I didn’t collapse in fits of laughter but mildly amusing I suppose. Then a couple of days later it comes up as a recommendation on my own channel…aargh…

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Interesting @Zoe_Buckley - I happen to think strikes are pretty simple. People withdraw their labour and cause disruption to other people because they are not getting what they want. In France, mediation is rarely, if ever, the first course of action - in fact in most cases mediation only ever happens after strikes have been called / taken place.

Grievances should be openly and maturely addressed with employers without dragging innocent bystanders into any dispute. It’s selfish and only serves to alienate any potential support.

People may have the right to strike but what about the right to work? What on earth gives these sanctimonious strikers the right to stop me earning a living (or getting to a funeral…), destroying infrastructure and expecting the taxpayer to pick up the tab? I have zero sympathy with anyone who withdraws their labour in an infantile attempt to make their point.

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Talking about strikes: What people don’t realize is that democracy means people stating their ideals. In France it isn’t just confined to a bit of paper every few years, it also involves making a public display, which is something the Brits aren’t used to, because of the extreme centralist government system, which doesn’t allow any other methods than an X on a bit of paper.

Talking about books on France, try finding a copy of “from here you can’t see Paris” by Michael S Sanders, it is probably one of, if not, the best book on France.Other than he, his wife and little girl, there are no expats, only French in the book. I have written two books on France, so I’m in a position to recommend it.

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Perhaps members of the anti strike brigade lack the life experiences to understand what brings groups of hard working, dedicated, conscientious people to take strike action. Too often their polite, well structured, carefully placed arguments are ignored time after time by the government, their employers and the general public leaving disruptive strike action as the only way to get noticed and listened to. Smug right wing attitudes are amusing at times but dangerous in many situations.

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I’ve sent these to a couple of French friends who share my sense of humour and find them hilarious. So I guess he’s like Marmite (and Survive France!) - you either love it or hate it!

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I share your opinion

I mentioned that I have never been on strike, Simon. In short, if I find myself working in a situation where the conditions are sub par, or the owner/PDG is asking me to do something that I am not comfortable with, I will just leave. It really is THAT simple for me. I have walked out of hotels where higher management did NOT want to bend to hygiene regulation and norms.The people that continue to work there, that’s on their concience,not on mine. Before leaving, I had tried, time and time again, to mediate, but when it falls on deaf ears, I jump ship.

As for large groups of people striking, usually, mediation has not worked out, and I think you ignore the fact that the CGT and other unions do spend hours and hours in mitigation with the employers and have competent legal teams, and striking takes place once an agreement can’t be reached, or when the “deal” proposed by the bosses is not acceptable to the workers. I know that in Ireland, HMV staff staging sit ins for unpaid wages finally paid off, and I could sit here all day giving examples of how striking has been a success for certain groups of people.

I will say that SOME strikes are unjustified, I’ll go back to Ireland for a second, and throw the “luas” drivers into the mix here. Stiking for pay rises every 5 minutes, when they are already paid more than hospital A&E doctors. For driving a tram.

Any demos that I have been to regarding rights, and safety issues for motorcycle riders has been fruitful to a point, and so, yes, strikes are foreign to many expats here, but they have their place, and they have their reasons.

Complaining because you simply are put out, when you neither understand their grievance, nor CARE to, is unfair.

Really ? I don’t happen to think so. The last strikes / demos in and around Toulouse about the new labour laws cost me around 680€ and a missed family funeral. Now tell me exactly why I should give a stuff about, or even try to understand the strikers / demonstrators grievances? They patently don’t care about who they inconvenience, hurt or impose additional costs on - why oh why would I ever give them a second thought. As I said earlier - selfish.

As I said earlier sometimes you have to know what has gone on before to understand what has made the workers come out on strike. Even in France it is never the first action in a dispute but is usually the first action that is noticed by the general public.

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As I said earlier - why would I give a jot about people who patently don’t give a jot about me. In France the ‘right to strike’ is invoked way before most productive face-to-face negotiations - just ask any CGT member. If you don’t like your job / employer - change them.

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You haven’t got a clue!