So as some of you may not know, 2 1/2 weeks ago I was given the oh so coveted "titre de sejour" to stay in France for the rest of the year. This past weekend, I managed to lose this identity card. Apparently this is not a very common occurrence because neither the Fulbright people, nor my contact at the Office that helps foreign students knew what you do to get a duplicate. After some minor freak outs I've managed to calm myself and dealt with the crisis in stride. After spending all of Saturday searching for the stupid thing I went to the police station and filed a report. Then Monday I went to the prefecture and had the nice lady. I was informed that I had to fill something out saying I lost it and then resubmit a few papers. Everyone thought it would be very difficult to get a new one because normally you have to prove that you lost it which is kind of a Catch-22 but alas, I had a lucky week. Aside from that I've actually been doing some work lately. I have a very time consuming yet strangely satisfying job of transferring mass amounts of meteorological data from a website to excel. I guess it just feels good to be busy.
I'm about to embark on my travels through France. I'm leaving for Lyon (big city south of Dijon) to meet a Fulbright friend, Sasha and then Sunday I'm taking the train up to Paris to meet Lindsey at the airport on Monday!!! So excited that she is coming!!
My life has definitely become more monotonous due to the break in train strikes (although word is that it will recommence soon) and the cancellation of the blockade at the university. However, that does not mean that others are not being affected in more interesting ways. According to an article by Europe Solidaire Sans Frontieres "literally everyone is under attack" and examples given are:
on the pensions issue, workers are supposed to work longer to get less in the end, sick people will have to pay a “franchise” (fixed rate fee) to be allowed access to social security, immigrants are submitted to more restrictive laws, the possibility of DNA testing of immigrants to prove family relationships was voted in Parliament, illegal immigrants’ children are threatened, the right to study is put in jeopardy both by the loss of thousands of teacher jobs and the autonomization of universities, preparing the competition between them...
(http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article8367)
I think one of the most interesting things about being an American in France at this point in time is that I will never understand this attitude. I'm just too American. Every time I discuss this with a French person, no matter anti-strike they are, I still find myself not understanding why they sympathize with the strikers. As one of my colleagues said "it's our national past time". I think that is a pretty good way of putting it. Many French high schools are currently on strike in support of anything anti-Sarkozy. This includes the high school where my friend Sasha works. This morning she had to go to school just in case any of the students made it through the blockade and could enter the classroom; she's always ready to teach even though there is a huge barrier (i.e. stack of chairs and desks) in between her and the students. I think this says words about the French attitude towards their fellow Frenchmen and to why they all seem to understand and sympathize with these incessant strikes. I will never understand it but then again I guess I'm not meant to.
That's my little commentary for the day. I don't know exactly what people are hearing in the US. I know everyone is hearing about the shootings in the Paris suburbs but thought I would give a little point of view from an outsider in the inside.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, November 29, 2007
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3 comments:
Hello!
I don't know what is so difficult to understand...
Tell me, what happens in the USA when there's something wrong with a new law or something? What do american people do? Do you have to just accept the changes, no matter what they are? Or is there something you can do?
In France, there's one thing we can do : strikes. But France isn't the only country where there are strikes, citizens of many other countries in Europe also use them to defend themselves.
Anyway, I guess you came to France at the wrong time. Yes, there are many strikes at the moment, but usually when people are on strike, it's for a good reason.
Strikes can be very annoying, especially for necessary services like transports, etc. (It's the goal of strikes, after all. If they don't annoy anyone, then what effect will they have?)
But the right to be on strike is an extremely important thing, and that's why many people usually sympathize with people on strike.
I'll take an example, the last time I've been on strike myself : Have you ever heard of the "CPE"? (Contrat Première Embauche) It was supposed to be a work contract kinda like a CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée), for young people (<26 yo). It was like a CDI, except that you could get fired - without ANY justification - during the first 2 years of the contract. Thanks to the huge mobilisation and strikes, the CPE never existed.
You can get more information about the CPE here and here.
Note that there is a similar contract, called CNE (Contrat Nouvelle Embauche), which isn't restricted to young people but is restricted to small enterprises. This one, unfortunately, didn't get cancelled thanks to the strikes (and as expected, there were many stories of workers suffering from abuses of this new contract). This part of the wikipedia article is quite interesting :
"Le 14 novembre 2007, les deux principales particularités de ce contrat (licenciement sans motif communiqué préalablement et période de consolidation de deux ans) ont été déclarées contraire au droit international par l'Organisation internationale du travail. Ce contrat devrait probalablement disparaître, les tribunaux le requalifiant souvent en CDI de droit commun."
So, my point is, strikes are the only "weapon" we have to defend ourselves against unfair or plain dumb things. So, although they're annoying for everyone, strikes are a good thing...
Anyway I hope you will enjoy your time in France regardless of strikes!
It's not the strikes that boggle my mind so much but the reason that they occur here so often. Maybe I did pick a bad time to come and it seems that France is known for strikes. I think my negative attitude towards strikes comes from the idea that you "it's the only defense". My way of solving things would be to get more people working in the administration trying to change things but it seems to me (and I know very little about French politics) that very few people try to change the system from the inside. In general, maybe I'm too cynical. I think that maybe other creative solutions might be something to look at. Sorry if it seems like I'm very negative toward France but I just don't get the strikes...I guess they work though and it's not my place to complain.
Well, I don't think there are strikes SO often in France. I agree that there may be more strikes here in France than in other countries, but it's not all the time, all year long, like you make it sound ;) Saying "France is known for strikes" is like saying "America is known for people eating at Mc Donald's all the time". I mean, it's not correct and it's stereotypical (isn't it?)
I think strikes are very noticeable in France because they often involve SNCF, and when SNCF is on strike, the whole country is paralyzed. There are strikes in America right now ( American scenario writers, since november), but you don't really notice them, it's not like a strike in transports for example.
I would agree to say that SNCF sometimes abuses that right, though.
As for your way of solving things... I think it's a bit "utopic", and I don't see how it could possibly work? What can you do against something sarkozy decides to do? Strikes don't even work...
And yes, you came at a pretty bad time (nothing dramatic, but could have been better), because as you know we have a new president, and he's starting to make his changes, and people don't like what he's doing (obviously, some people didn't think about it BEFORE voting for him! -_-). I only hope that they will learn from their mistake, and that in 5 years, they will vote for someone else. I have doubts about it, though.
Take care!
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