French government cites European debt crisis to slash spending

17 February 2010

Amid rising panic in global financial markets due to the European debt crisis currently centred in Greece, France’s conservative government is preparing massive cuts in public spending.

On February 15, Sarkozy met trade unions and business groups to discuss the “2010 social calendar”, on which pension cuts will be a main topic. They are preparing measures including lengthening the pay-in period beyond 41 years—currently the limit for workers retiring after 2012—and increasing the pension age beyond 60. The government reportedly expects to discuss and implement the “reform” before the end of 2010.

The government has also promulgated a decree on “mobility of public sector workers”, part of a new round of attacks on the public sector work force. These include state, local, and hospital employees totalling some 5.2 million workers.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/fran-f17.shtml


It's war on the workers across the globe. All because everyone's in debt. To whom is all the money owed?

The workers are taking the cuts, so....who's left?

I'd like to see Sarkozy try to bring down France's labor unions and long heritage of labor activism without destroying his own career.

Capitalism creates its own executioner.