One thing that you
won't be able to ignore when living in France, other than their big appetite for wheat, is their passion for strikes. These kind of strikes make life, let's say, a tid bit more miserable, especially when we don't have our black mercedes riding swiftly on Parisian cement taking us from point A to B. You must understand, the Parisian subway network
(le metro) is more than mere transportation. For thousands of people like me, it's a way of life. So once you realise that about 80 people are standing and cursing at the station, I'd say you're better off taking the cab. And oops, after paying about 8 times what you normally would on a metro ride, you realise that the campus is closed. Strike again :)
Okay, so that may just be one of my sarcastic typing ability bragging online, because it never quite happened that way... yet. Anyhow, a strike
is currently being held in public universities all around France, opposing the CPE / CNE. What are they? Please let me explain.
A flyer distributed in one of the campus writes:
Le Contrat Premiere Embauche (CPE) est un contrat pour tous les jeunes de moins de 26 ans, avec une "periode d'essai" de 2 ans, pendant laquelle on peut se faire virer sans que l'employeur ait a donner de motif. Le Contrat Nouvel Embauche (CNE) est la meme chose, pour tous les employes dans les entreprises de moins de 20 salaries. Pour un CDD, la periode d'essai est de 1 mois et pour un CDI, cette periode est generalement de 3 mois. Loosely translated into:
The first employment contract (CPE in French) is a contract for everyone under 26 years old, with a "probation period" of 2 years, in which during the time one can be dismissed without the employer having to give any explanation. The new employment contract (CNE) is the same for companies employing less than 20 employees. For CDD (Contrat a Duree Determinee - limited period contract), the probation period is 1 month, when it is 3 months for CDI (Contrat a Duree Indetermine - undetermined period contract).
Basically, this new system aims to reduce unemployment amongst fresh graduates in France, by protecting us from the devil's cycle of being employed as stagiaire (intern) again and again. Companies are afraid of employing "real" employees here, and I can't blame them. Essentially, one has to go through a series of rules including precise numbers of verbal and written warnings before kicking a "real" employee out. Imagine that there's a total a*s in your company and even you don't have the legitimacy of sacking the bugger. They'd sue you, and their win is almost always sure.
On the other hand, internship programs here do not include social security, do not pay for food, let alone bills. Or worse, some don't even get paid, period. And yes, internships don't count as first professional experience either, but as "labour-related" experience. Best bet is, once that 3-6 months is gone, graduated, one would be all motivated to start his/her career. But all enterprises can offer is another damn internship paying 1/3 of the minimum wage rate. At least with the new system, companies feel more "at ease" employing new people, and one can fill their badly needed empty CV with their very first professional experience.
As for me, I'm just not quite there yet.
