France melting down: "bossnappings" and spontaneous "supermarket picnics"

France is freaking out!

When the former prime minister Dominique de Villepin warned that there was a risk of revolution in France, it was not just because he wanted to make life difficult for his arch-rival Nicolas Sarkozy. It was also because social unrest is genuinely on the rise....

...universities have ground to a halt for three months over attempts to rewrite the terms of employment contracts for lecturers. There has been a wave of "bossnappings", where chief executives arriving at plants to announce layoffs found themselves barred from leaving. There have been commando-style "picnics" in supermarkets, where people feast from shelves shouting "we will not pay for your crisis". The protests are local and apparently spontaneous. Union officials find themselves not so much leading the action as trying to head it off. In five out of seven cases, bossnapping was used against foreign-owned companies (Sony, Caterpillar, 3M) which are reputed to be more cavalier about laying off workers than their French counterparts. Nor are strikes mere stunts.

More at source:
www.guardian.co.uk...






[edit on 5/2/09 by silent thunder]

My head says this is just not right.
But my heart says...
BOSSNAPPINGS!!! YEAH BABY!!! IT'S TIME YOU GET YOURS!!!

reply to post by silent thunder


France is suffering the least out of all G-7 Nations.... and yet they are reacting like toddlers who had their cookies taken from them.

It's evidence that when the people do half as much as what other nations are doing, but get more benefits then everyone else because the government hand feeds the populace. The people react like the toddlers they are because they have no idea how to be self sufficient.

I hope the French realize how embarrassing their actions are.

I had seen mention of this a few weeks ago, I second the first poster. On one hand, I feel bad for the boss just bc I'm sure the are "just doing their job" and IF the money isn't there it isn't there and the people would be a lot more angry if they were working and their paychecks began to bounce. But I also have a nagging feeling that many companies are using the economic problems of others to cash in and that is not right. For instance, I have quite a few credit cards with various companies, well over the past few months I now still have quite a few cards, but they are now 90% owned by Chase. Chase recieved 25 billion dollars in bail out money but they had money to buy up many other banks?! How exactly does that work, other than they are trying to cash in. So, I will happily be getting rid of my credit cards shortly, bc I don't like the feeling that Chase owns me (ps we all know who owns Chase anyway).

Go French people, get yours, bc no one is gonna give you anything.

Originally posted by mecheng
My head says this is just not right.
But my heart says...
BOSSNAPPINGS!!! YEAH BABY!!! IT'S TIME YOU GET YOURS!!!

I hope you read my book! LOL!

Really, all who would rather live the high life with no boss should read my book. It's FREE linked in my sig.

Supermarket picnics? Whoooooaaaa Bundy!

Originally posted by searching4truth
I had seen mention of this a few weeks ago, I second the first poster. On one hand, I feel bad for the boss just bc I'm sure the are "just doing their job" ...

This may be true, they're just doing their jobs...

But someone(s) is making the evil corporate choices and thinking they're ok. Monsanto in particular. Profit or no, they do things no human hearted individual of sentience would think were a good idea...unless some deeper plan is afoot.

These "picnics" aren't new. They only get reported in the media now for political purposes.
They are based on a law that says anyone should be able to try out a product before buying it. So they are in fact legal even if used by a recent group of civic disobediants that look for broader coverage. But their actions emcompass a lot of activities including for example teaching activists how to use the media to get their message out.
But this is just in line with a long history, like a book that was published about 20 years ago that tought you cou could go pee on the frontside of any building as long as no one saw your genitals. Or that old argument trying to find out which was better, to slap or punch a cop.

So really, nothing new here...

This is just business as normal in France, nothing really new about it. There is always some form of protest going on one way or another, if French people ever stopped protesting then i would be worried.

Originally posted by Rockpuck


I hope the French realize how embarrassing their actions are.

Dont want to de-rail this thread , but have to say.

The French should be worried how they are percieved globally?

This from an American ?

I don't feel for all of them, but I have worked for big corporations, and my boss was no where near the "top dog" but if someone were to come in with fingers pointing it would be at him. I think, if one could hold the actual person calling the shots to hold hostage, fine. I just hope its not the "manager" or whomever they could lock up. I don't know that I'm clear, its late. So, I'll end with if its the top dog go for it.

reply to post by Rockpuck


Generally speaking, American's no longer revolt. This has been noticed by a wide variety of social scientists, and nobody has an adequate explanation.

Some ATSers have suggested that, like Romans before us, American's have just become too apathetic to survive as an empire. These people might be on to something.

Originally posted by Seany

Originally posted by Rockpuck


I hope the French realize how embarrassing their actions are.

Dont want to de-rail this thread , but have to say.

The French should be worried how they are percieved globally?

This from an American ?

Spot on.... I like the fact that French are so passionate about their country, why should they feel embarrassed is beyond me?

if anything it shows healthy and strong culture.

Originally posted by Rockpuck
reply to post by silent thunder

 

France is suffering the least out of all G-7 Nations.... and yet they are reacting like toddlers who had their cookies taken from them.

It's evidence that when the people do half as much as what other nations are doing, but get more benefits then everyone else because the government hand feeds the populace. The people react like the toddlers they are because they have no idea how to be self sufficient.

I hope the French realize how embarrassing their actions are.

Do you think it's going to end it France? Think again. It's just that the French are the first to do something about it although, I agree the supermarket buffets are a bit on the comical side. But when this starts to happen in America and it's the people at the highest levels of the major banks who get kidnapped, then we'll know the rout has started. And it's long overdue. In fact, it's inevitable.

Originally posted by Rockpuck
reply to post by silent thunder

 

France is suffering the least out of all G-7 Nations.... and yet they are reacting like toddlers who had their cookies taken from them.

I hope the French realize how embarrassing their actions are.

Ah Rockpuck, your ethnocentricity blinds you and it shows mate.

The French are NOTORIOUS for protesting any injustice they perceive the PEOPLE of France suffer from the government or business sector of their nation..

You are just to use to being a polite tool of the establishment here in the USA to understand this as a quality.

Being a 'mastor mason' I would have expected a more 'enlightened' attitude from you, but I do understand we are creators of comfort...

I personally think all of us in the USA could learn a LOT from the French about how to make the government work for US rqather than big business. But as a poster before me mentioned, perhaps we are simply too comfortable as a society to demand our representatives represent US.