Speaking with a schoolboy the other day I remarked that he would be off school the next day as it was Ascension. No, he said, it was a teachers' strike. Yesterday was also a Thursday with some schools disrupted. In Toulouse and many other cities there were anti-Loi Travail demonstrations. Also in la ville rose there was a demonstration against the introduction of a new male bear into the Pyrenees.
Businesses in many cities are becoming annoyed at the frequent disruptions caused by the Thursday manifs, But unions and students are intent on getting the government to scrap the reforms to the labour laws and will keep up the pressure.
It seems that we must brace ourselves for years more of this as all the right wing candidates for the 2017 presidential election are vying to out-do each other in proposing that the loi El Khomri does not go far enough. They will scrap the 35 hour week, make it easier to hire and fire, allow more work place agreements and limit trade union representatives' involvement at the place of work - one candidate even proposes to scrap the Code du Travail entirely.
So prepare for even more "Thursday: strike".
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