Some people don't want to work more to earn
more
Achara Deboonme
The Nation
Publication Date : 22-10-2013
Paris has everything to entice tourists - from
famous attractions like the Eiffel Tower and the
Louvre Museum, to street cafes and delicious
food. No wonder the city attracts about 27
million visitors each year. But to the dismay of
many tourists, Paris, like most European cities, is
a shopping wasteland on Sundays, as many
stores close.
In 2009, seeking a relaxation to the weekly
shopping shutdown, then French president
Nicolas Sarkozy said the French should "work
more to earn more". To him, it was embarrassing
when US First Lady Michelle Obama couldn't do
some private Sunday shopping in Paris. "How are
we supposed to explain to her that we are the
only country where shops are closed on Sunday?"
he said.
An argument on this subject is brewing,
concerning a relaxation in labour rules. With the
economic situation so poor, stores want to open
on Sundays and some workers want to work
more. That's not surprising given that France's
unemployment rate hit 10.4 per cent in the first
quarter of 2013 - the highest level the country
has seen in 15 years. The figure rose even
higher, to 11 per cent, in July.
However, due to tough labour rules, retailers in
France cannot open their stores whenever they
want. The strict rules regulating retailers'
opening hours derive from a long tradition of "le
repos dominical" - protecting Sunday as a "day of
rest" for workers. In some cities that are popular
with tourists, retailers are allowed to open on
Sundays, but only on the strict condition that
they do not force any of their employees to work
on that day. In September, two retailers were
given a court order that they must close 15 of
their outlets in Paris on Sunday.
While this looks like a local issue, an article on
CNBC.com indicates that it may not be so.
Several Chinese migrants are doing well in Paris
as the owners of cafes and restaurants there,
and they are glad to "work more to earn more".
One man cited in the article works 11 hours a
day, six days a week.
France is part of the European Union, where free
flows of labour are allowed. French workers may
not yet be intimidated by workers from other
European nations who are happy with harder
work conditions. But as the borders open wider,
workers of other nationalities might be
encouraged to enter France. Some of them will
be willing to work harder and probably for lower
pay than French nationals; they will be
welcomed by employers.
Despite the high unemployment rate, many in
France feel that the move to relax the labour
rules threatens their work-life balance. They fret
that the laws limiting Sunday trading and
enforcing a 35-hour week might be changed. A
change could see employers turning to workers
who are willing to work more than 35 hours a
week.
The current labour rules have some benefits.
One is the preservation of the traditional French
way of life - with workers having sufficient time
for their families and for leisure. A happy life
means a happy nation. Another benefit is that
all retailers, big or small, have to close on
Sundays regardless of their hiring power. A
supporter of the "no-change" attitude is
President Francois Hollande. Despite reforms this
year that loosened some rigidity in the labour
rules, he has sidestepped the issue of the 35-
hour working week.
Yet, with high unemployment and economic
stagnation, it might be necessary to be more
flexible in terms of working culture, in order to
create jobs and compete on a global level. In a
world governed by demand and supply rules, it
seems natural for companies and their workers to
work more when consumers want to consume
more. Preventing people from working more
means that France is running against the tide.
Some French workers even demonstrated last
month, demanding the right to work on Sunday.
There were reports that Italy and Spain, where
unemployment rates are higher, are planning to
relax their labour rules. Elsewhere, working
hours are longer. In the United Kingdom, the
maximum working week is 48 hours on average.
Those choosing to work longer hours can do so.
In the United States, the maximum number of
working hours for a full-time employee is 40
hours a week. The 40-hour week is also applied
in Thailand.
French lawmakers are fighting over whether they
should relax the rules. When a study is
completed and revealed next month, we will
know if French workers will remain among the
happiest in the world.