So Tuesday night ther was a poster at the school gate, the replacement teacher for the class of my elder two girls is going on strike tomorrow. Chaos ensued. The girls and many others are booked into the canteen. The canteen people say it can't be cancelled and won't be reimbursed. The teacher asks for the kids to be kept off school (with less than 2 days notice). Parents are quite rightly put out. Its the only class in the school with the teacher striking. We are very grateful that the rest of our teachers don't tend to go on strike.
The mairie have a wonderful lady who organises all the things to do with the school and the CAF, she spent all of Tues night telephoning all the parents of the people in the classes GS/CP to ask what they want to do and to let them know that actually the mairie will reimburse the meal if the parents can not put their children in school tomorrow. She called me at 9.20pm and still had others on her list. The impact of the strike on the families in the village is wide and everyone is grumpily talking about it and the lack of notice.
The same evening I found out that 1000's of taxi drivers are planning on blocking Toulouse Airport from Sunday to Tuesday - my hubby flies on the 645 to London so we've had to change his flight to Sunday night from a different airport away from Toulouse and the return flight too or else his car will be in the wrong place. Besides the expense of booking last minute flights from a different airport and incuring car parking (which is already pre-paid at Toulouse) there is the lost evening on Sunday where he'll be back in London and the girls will be grumpy at Daddy having gone a day early. When he's only back for 2 days they count this as quality time. So taxi drivers are currently not on my christmas list.
I've seen Ryanair have cancelled flights tomorrow, trains are cancelled, trams and buses, some colleges and schools closed. There is more to come I'm sure. How have the strikes affected you?
I've heard people say strikes are a successful way to pressurise government into protecting workers rights...I say they really put a lot of the rest of us in the merde and cost us money besides the impact on the economy. Without turning into a political discussion (I'm not in the mood for politics to be honest - no energy at the moment...)but please do feel free to share how the strikes are affecting you and if you see any sites showing updates of whats affected....share here!
James dropped Max off at the bus stop at 7.10 this morning. At 7.20 Max phoned to say there was no bus, even though the driver hadn't said anything about striking the day before.
I think it is plain bloody irresponsible to leave kids at bus stops in the dark with no forewarning.
I was already en route for work and was about to turn back but luckily another mum took them in. Grrr.
Just about to find out if there is a bus tonight or if I need to drive back into Dax to collect him and anyone else whose parents might be, ahem, at work.
I feel your pain! I am anxiously watching developments as mother is due to fly over from UK next week. This time last year she had to cancel her trip because of air traffic controllers strike and she hasn't seen the kids for 6 months so really keeping my fingers crossed!
The strikes certainly adversely impact the lives of ordinary people and I personally remain unconvinced that they are an effective mechanism for change. Like many of my friends and family ( both British and French) I feel that there are so many, we have become "immune" to the causes behind them and just see them as an unpleasant part of life.
That said, I am amazed at how quickly the unions react to any proposed changes with strikes, blocades etc and yet the masses don't protest against in a similar way against the many injustices that exist in everyday life and taxes.
Will continue to watch with interest but have to accept that they are just another part of French life, I guess!
I'm sure Vero! Any excuse to not go to school - I know my 2 were very happy at the idea of no teacher, athough they did ask if the reason she is striked is because she brought bugs into their class and they poo and smell. I think they thought striking meant sacked. This morning I said they should ask her why she is striking and why it is important to her so they understand what its about.
I would like to strike because I don't agree with the el-Khomri law proposal & it is the only means of objecting I have at my disposal, BUT as I have rather a lot to do what with the Bac on the horizon & 4x T° & 2x1° & then 2 conseils de classe, I sha'n't.
I expect a lot of pupils will not come to school (& could name which ones right now!!) even though the canteen is functioning & the buses are running - but they aren't politically motivated they are skivers.
Shelley, when I mention this to our French friends they totally agree with me in that there is a lot of complaining in discussions over the dinner table, but they never get up off their backsides to actually do something.
Are the postal service and the customs service on strike too? Anyone know as I'm waiting for items that seem to have taken a long time (well, at least longer than the usual delays)?
Did you find out why the teacher was striking, and, more importantly, striking alone?? as for the rest of the strikes, they rarely affect me, as when I fly, I go through Geneva, and we don't live in the sort of place where public transport is to be depended upon. I know you say you don't want to talk politics, but striking comes down to politics in the end.
Regarding the french air traffic controllers action I can find lots of references to 9 days of action between the end of March and 2 May but no detail of which 9 dates are affected. I am due to fly back from the UK (into Bordeaux) on Thursday next week which is 14 April.
Does anyone have a link to the specific dates planned please?
A cheaper option Suzanne for the early Toulouse flight (and a handy tip for any very early flight from Toulouse) would be to stay at FastHotel on the oustkirts of the airport. Charming staff, perfectly comfortable room, and (I think) free parking so you can move your car next morning to reserved car park. Or if you can reach Toulouse by train this can be way cheaper than the airport carparks - take the metro and tram to the airport from central Toulouse (1,60€). The hotel is about 10-15 mins walk from the terminal (bit of a slog with heavy case, but fine for carry-on). It's around 45-50€ a night excluding breakfast. Stress free..!