The overworked city-dwellers of Paris have an expression that sums up their life: métro, boulot, dodo: subway, work, sleep. Of course here in Aveyron we rarely hear this expression. And yet...I leave for work every morning at 7:20 after dropping my children off at the bus stop, and what with late classes, meetings or appointments with students, I often don't get home until 6:30. Call it Peugeot, boulot, dodo: it's a pretty long day in the land of the 35-hour workweek.
Resentment is, in fact, growing in France towards those who do benefit from les 35 heures (essentially civil servants and employees of medium-sized to large companies) and those who do not (a whole lot of other people, including my husband and myself!)
3 comments:
Great post! Peugeot, boulot, dodo... love it.
"Growing resentment"...yet you choose not to do anything about it?
I don't understand.
I'm not really sure who "you" is supposed to be in this comment -- me? The French?
I am happy working a lot, and in fact both my French husband and I have a definite American work ethic. However an article last spring in the French magazine Capital reported that there is a huge working hours gap in France and some of those who are working A LOT (and there are plenty in France, contrary to popular belief)are getting fed up with the disparity between their situation and the people who benefit from the 35 hour work week.
I'm really not sure I personally can take on this problem, Anonymous.
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