by Rick Lowe
The French government recently made an attempt to loosen their labour laws in an effort to ease their unemployment situation.
Unfortunately millions of people protested and the government has had to back down.
Llewellyn Rockwell Jr. of the Ludwig von Mises Institute wrote a piece titled The French Employment Fiasco, and this blogger believes he has the right idea.
Here are couple observations from the piece:
“Under the present system, there is no fraternity or equality much less liberty. Workers are free to withdraw from their jobs. To leave employment is rightly considered a human right; to deny it is tantamount to slavery or feudal serfdom. At the same time, then, it is pure hypocrisy to expect that the employer not be able to sever contracts with employees. To deny that — as the French protestors demand — is tantamount to enslaving employers and turning them into indentured servants of workers and their unions.”
“Thus does France find itself in a bind, not just now but long-term. It can either go further toward socialism and thereby kill off what is left of French civilization, or it can push harder for sweeping and truly radical reform, one that creates a liberalized environment not just in one area but in all areas.”
Your blog hit a raw nerve!
The time has long past when this issue should be adressed in the Bahamas.
An employee can walk out of a job after 20 years with little or no notice yet the employer must rightly pay compensation if he/she is dismissed.
What about the rights of the employer or should employers form their own unions?
It’s really not about fairness.
It is an anti-capitalist mentality on behalf of politicians.
They usually catch on when it’s too late.