Sarkozy Says His Policies Have Killed 35-Hour French Work Week

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Bloomberg News

Sarkozy Says His Policies Have Killed 35-Hour French Work Week
By Gregory Viscusi - Apr 16, 2012 1:43 AM CT

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his policies have effectively killed the 35-hour work week.

“It has been abolished,” Sarkozy said in an interview on France 2 television, six days before the first round of presidential elections.

Sarkozy, who is trailing in polls behind Socialist Francois Hollande, was asked why he hadn’t repealed the work-week limit instituted by a Socialist government in 2000. He responded that his government had in effect eliminated the law by extending the number of overtime hours allowed and not taxing overtime work.

Sarkozy said nine million workers were using the extensions.


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-16/sarkozy-says-his-policies-have-killed-35-hour-french-work-week.html

[nxylas]

1. He must be really proud of his achievement

Maybe France's 1% will give him a new chew toy as a reward.

[Katashi_itto]

2. French Poodle for the 1%

[harmonicon]

3. Sarkozy added, "I've not worked an hour over 20 hours a week for the last five years...

that's normal, right?"

[Lawlbringer]

4. As a guy who makes the majority of his check on OT

I have to say that not taxing overtime sounds pretty good. Especially if I work 60+ hours a week, and the legal limit is 35 hours there, that's an extra 10 hours per paycheck.

Of course, he's probably spun it into his favor. But since this is French politics, I don't care enough to actually research it. Just taking his word for it. If an American politician said it, I'd commit to due diligence and research to see if I can get behind that.

[madrchsod]

5. dam..not taxing overtime...what a novel concept

to bad in this greedy fucking country workers can`t get the same break.

[Proletariatprincess]

6. we really need a shorter work week in the US.

I would like to see the end of all overtime too. There should be work for everyone, not overwork for some and no work for others. If everyone made a fair wage and worked a shorter work week, overtime would not be necessary except in a dire emergency. Even then it must be voluntary and expensive for the employer. Forced overtime is just slavery for wages. We work too many hours in this country anyway. It effect s every aspect of our lives.

[Mass]

7. Sarkozy will be done in May.

and I doubt that having killed the 35 hour work week is going to help him.