Anyone else had their flight cancelled? Edi to Madrid 7.30 due to French **** on strike. We are not too happy tonight

Sorry to hear that.

If/when you finally do get to fly, why not go for a dump over Paris!

(I know, I know, but you can always pretend it has a railway/bomb-door type of mechanism).

At LHR this morning watching the departures board light up with “cancelled flight” info. Must have been 20flights cancelled at LHR T5 first thing. Quite a pain.

However the French do love their gold plated pensions and they aren’t going to give them up without a fight

Yep @tonyg2003.

The French do it right. They are happy to strike and support those who do – and they have a better quality of life than we do because of it.

In the UK we slag strikers off because of the inconvenience they cause whilst we cry into our poverty stricken old age, bitter that europeans do better than us.

I think maybe there’s a balance to be struck somewhere between the two tbh

What irritates me about the French is that they don’t even know how to fry potatoes very well*. Americans might be annoying, but they got the fried potato thing figured out.

*Edit. Based on a sample of one French restaurant which has awesome steak and roast chicken, but very average chips. They would be better to just send out for some Macca’s fries instead of serving up their own soggy chips.

I think maybe there’s a balance to be struck somewhere between the two tbh

^ this.

Having worked in Paris for 2 years I can tell you that striking season is not fun if you actually want to get around. Even the Parisians readily admit that the reasons for a strike can be pretty flimsy, so long as it coincides with some nice weather for the people on strike to head for the beach.

On the flip side, their social welfare system is amazing. Nobody seems to worry about unemployment or retirement. It appears to be more funded by corporation tax rather than income tax (compared to UK), so the general public don’t immediately see the cost of all of this.

. I think maybe there’s a balance to be struck somewhere between the two tbh

Northwind have you been on strike the last few weeks?

Why is this post still here?? If it was called ‘The Jews’ or similar it would have been taken down…………..

Because religious intolerance is unforgivable.

A bit of light xenophobia around one of our oldest enemies is fair enough 🙂

Fair play to them….

I heard similar sentiment to the op in the media here in Germany.

But why not stand up for what you want? Why let the governments do what they want with carte blanche? Further filling the pockets of those at the top whilst the plebs work longer for less.

Be more French and sod those few negatively affected by it for the odd day.

Because religious intolerance is unforgivable

But racism is OK now is it??

But why not stand up for what you want? Why let the governments do what they want with carte blanche?

Aren’t we getting that with Brexit?

<runs>

Aren’t we getting that with Brexit?

Where are you on the job /income ladder? You pulling the strings or are you the puppet?

But racism is OK now is it??

Other than a couple of generalisations, a joke about pooing over Paris and a criticism of their chip making ability I’m not seeing any overt racism…

Which posts are you meaning?

Is anyone else finding it ironic that if you are denigrating “the French” for their actions you are racist but if you are supporting “the French” you are not. I’m sorry but in each case you are making exactly the same assumptions that “the French” are a single entity which of course is nonsense.

We should all “Be more French ✊”

Might not get shit on as much

Let’s do a quick fact check.

Is there currently a large, widespread strike in France? Yes.

Is that strike affecting others?  Yes.

Are those others blaming the resulting inconvenience on ‘The French’?  Yes.

Is that racist?

We should all “Be more French ✊”

*sparks up a Gauloises*

*shrugs*

It appears to be more funded by corporation tax rather than income tax (compared to UK), so the general public don’t immediately see the cost of all of this.

A few years ago I was talking to the owner of a small hotel in some tiny slightly run-down French town. As the owner, paying the corporation tax, she was completely pissed off with the amount of her money that the government helped themselves to. I can’t remember the amounts, but it was quite shocking.

We should all “Be more French

I wonder to what extent it only works because of the willingness of the UK and German governments to prop up the Common Agricultural Policy.

If striking gets results then it’s the thing to do. I don’t understand why the British way is to grumble about injustice but not fight for it. If it weren’t inconveniencing people then it wouldn’t be an effective strike – kick up a stink, make a fuss, save your pension. Job jobbed.

If striking gets results then it’s the thing to do. I don’t understand why the British way is to grumble about injustice but not fight for it. If it weren’t inconveniencing people then it wouldn’t be an effective strike – kick up a stink, make a fuss, save your pension. Job jobbed

I agree, however the union membership where I work is a massive minority, the unions negotiate all the terms and conditions for the staff but the vast majority of staff are non union, striking to get a result would not be as effective as it would be similar to the average absenteeism that the company deals with every day.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité …. Mes aims … Liberté, égalité, fraternité

And the Symbol of that …. Marianne

She on all government papers/letters, post stamp etc

Had a wonderful tour, by the owner, of a independent Cognac house last year. He was a fantastic old boy, very charming he really did have … je ne sais quoi.

But he didn’t have any kids to pass on his family firm/tradition and was worried that he wouldn’t be able to find a suitable buyer. Leaving Marianne to break it up and sell it off on his death.

I’m sure there are some francophiles on herre who could expand of the concept of Marianne ….. Edukator ?

I can’t remember the amounts, but it was quite shocking.

Compared to what? The price of a baguette? The price of a bottle of Bordeaux?

31% it is.

I reckon this is acceptable for a fairer and more equal society.

We have 19% and similar amounts of Government wastage.

I think the Uk is much worse off society-wise.

In my experience, at least 50% of France is closed at any given point in time. That being the case, I’m surprised that anyone has noticed the strike.

I think the Uk is much worse off society-wise.

French society is barely better than civil war. They’ve had constant riots for a year and it barely makes the news. If half a dozen of the unwashed have a scuffle with the police it’s national news here.

We should all “Be more French ✊”

*takes the rest of the day off and heads for a 3 hour lunch*

The French, Irish, Welsh, Americans, The English am I’m a Scot and definitely not racist, heading off to Arran now on Saturday. Broddick or Madrid not much to choose between them and the Auchrannie resort if the sea is too cold

French society is barely better than civil war.

Hyperbole much? Not sure you’ve lived through that many civil wars if you can say that.

Hyperbole much? Not sure you’ve lived through that many civil wars if you can say that.

Would you accept the constant riots for a year (or more?) as normal here?

Have you ever been to Salford?

Have you eve been to Salford?

I lived in Middlesbrough. Even there actual riots weren’t routine weekend events.

Nobody seems to worry about unemployment or retirement

We should all “Be more French ✊”

I’m with you people with or without the prix fixe lunch wine included.

Not much égalité or fraternité showed by the french lady who bought this for $120K

But plenty of Liberté , I guess

full story here

A state only has the power you give it. If you think the state is acting against your interests then do something about it. Vote, strike and demonstrate as needs be.

Marianne is a symbol made up of symbols. There’s a government, a president and the more nebular la République (represented by Marianne). we’re all part of the République with our devoirs (duties) and droits (rights).

Pouvoir – contre-pouvoir: they’re complementary and equally necessary. We vote a government into power but not unconditionally.

Without getting too philosphical about it, because that would be a bit too French for STW, it’s a set of values I adhere to, that adhesion is as important as my passport, well it’s not really mine: “le passeport est la propriété de l’état Français” it says inside the back cover.

Vive la République !

Oh yeah, the strikes -*shrugs*

Despite all the strikes, taxes constraining business, and apparently constant riots, France has higher productivity than the UK. It’s almost as if giving people a bit of financial and employment security and the right to be more than a corporate battery is actually a good move for everyone.

joshvegas

Member

Northwind have you been on strike the last few weeks?

Nah, I’m in Unison not UCU and we got a majority for strike action but not enough to pass the legislation change limit.(I think I’m allowed in UCU now but I wasn’t when i first started)

I wonder to what extent it only works because of the willingness of the UK and German governments to prop up the Common Agricultural Policy.

I’ve heard it said that of the big countries in the EU, the motivation for France was the agri-subsidies, for the UK it was the rebate (thus improving the cost/benifit) and for the Germans it was assuaging their war guilt.

It’s clearly not true (or at least it’s not the whole truth) but there is a pithiness to it which sticks in the mind.

Watch soaps or series in France, Germany or Spain and you’ll fall asleep long before another nation is mocked. Now think of your favourite BBC series and soaps… .