A Nation of Irrational and Diffident Youngsters

The recent demonstrations and riots that are happening in France sound an alarm bell for many European nations. The large-scale violence clearly shows that democracy may not be an excellent means to prosperity. Sometimes, it may hinder the successful development of a society. The French Prime Minister, Mr. Dominique de Villepin proposed a law, the First Employment Contract (CPE), which allows employers to end job contracts for under-26s at any time during a two-year probation period. It is a part of series of measures designed to boost the employability of youths in the French suburbs. The government claims that it will encourage employers to hire young people. However, students and young workers protest that the newly passed law will erode job stability in France, where more than 20% of 18-25-year-olds are unemployed—more than twice the national average and will make them to be discarded at will.

In my opinion, the law is a necessity in revitalizing France’s lackluster economy, which grows at a feeble rate of 1.6 percent annually. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, workers in France spent only about 1431 hours on their job every year, the lowest among 26 advanced nations. Other advanced nations are far ahead of it. For example, the United States is about 27 percent higher than France with 1822 hours. This somehow shows that French workers are not passionate about their job. This indifferent attitude towards work is, by large, due to the Labour Code in France that makes layoff costly. Once one gets a job, it is difficult for the company to dismiss him or her for the law tends to stand by the side of the employers. Employers do not have to fear for retrenchment. The need to put in effort in their work, and to upgrade one’s skills to stay competitive is negligible. This poses a serious problem for the companies and as a result, many private companies in France are cautious about hiring, as it is hard to fire even when workers are not proven to be worth keeping. They want achievement and development, not unnecessary burden. This is widely regarded as a cause for high unemployment rate among the youngsters. Thus, this new law is necessary. When companies are allow to fire workers, they will not have much misgivings as to whether they have made a wise hiring. They thus would tend to be more generous when deciding the number of workers to recruit. In addition, it signifies that need to stay completive and enthusiastic about one’s job. Understandably, this law is meant to send a positive signal to the younger generation that they must put in effort in their work and stay competitive or they will be eliminated. It is meant to stimulate and propel youngsters in the nation to strive for their future and stay ahead of their competitors. It conveys a meaningful message that they should not rely too much on welfare system. The system whereby people only take without give will not move far. Unfortunately, the law is misunderstood as an evil move to make them the “Kleenex generation”, to be discarded at will. The violence clear reveals the selfishness and lacking of foresightedness in the younger generation in France. They refuse to depend on their own ability to secure their jobs. It is understandable that as long as one is competent, he or she will not be “discarded”. This is the reality of the world. Before the landing of Man on the Australia Island, Dudu birds were abundant because they have no natural predators and food was in plenty. They were well taken care of by the nature. However, when Man came, Man’s hunting activities and the predators that Man brought in such as dogs soon wiped them out. The same situation is looming in France, where people are well shielded by benefits and protections of the generous welfare state and are unwilling to take care of themselves. In fact, this is a major problem in many Western nations, such as Italy and Britain. This could be a reason why France and Italy were overtaken by China in terms of economic progress and development.

The series of demonstrations also shows that French people have little confidence to thrive on their own. This is a serious problem for the nations. Also, France is going ageing at an alarming rate. According to OECD, in 2005, France’s labour force was 2.7 times as large as its 65-and-over population; by 2020, it would only be twice as large. That means that the size of its workforce will dwindle and there will be a sharp increase in people who will be taking benefits out of the welfare system without having to contribute. That is why it is urgent to increase its employment rate and to boost the competitiveness of its people to compensate for the inevitable loss. This law can do the magic but unfortunately, its people do not understand.


Articles of reference

-“The Politics of Make-Believe” Newsweek international, 03/04/2006
-“Violence flares at French rallies” BBC NEWS, 13/04/2006
-“Riots erupt after French protests” BBC NEWS, 13/04/2006