Handout 15           WORK ISSUES ---(UN) EMPLOYMENT----TRADE UNIONS 
Remarks
France has a total labor force of some 26 million (nearly half the total population). Within this
 category, 19.5 million are wage and salary earners and 2.4 million, 10% of the total labor force,
 are job seekers
 Breakdown by type of employment :
-->. "French society " 
Money= the euro
 Standard of living
      Net monthly average earning (gross):    2 583 euros


 Consumption (% of household spending):
      1-Housing, electricity, heating:
      2-Food, drink and tobacco:
      3-Transport and communications:
      4-Health:
      5-Household goods and maintenance:
      6-Leisure and culture:
      7-Clothing:
      8-Other goods and services (restaurants, travel, etc.):

Life expectancy: 77.5 years for men (close to the European average), 84.4 years for women (2 years above the European average).

Fertility rate: 198 children per 100 women.

Retirement: Average retirement age: 58.8 years (EU-25 average: 60.9 years).

• Income and employment indicators place France slightly above the European average.

GDP per capita: €28,356. Compared with an EU-27 base 100, France is at 112.8, the United Kingdom 118.1 and Germany 113.5.

Working hours per week (effective): 35.9 (Germany: 35.8; UK: 35.7).

Labour force participation(Unions): 63% (close to EU average; Denmark, 75.8%).

Unemployment rate: just over 8% in 2007 (EU-25: 8.7%).

Pre-tax minimum hourly wage (Smic): € 8,63 in 2008.  

                    Minimum per monthly wage, 35-hour week: € 1 308,91

                    Pre-tax average monthly salary: €2 583 (average 1500 after  tax)

Mean fiscal annual salary per categories of professions

                         Professionals:70,126 euros
                       • Executives, management staff: 37,796 euros
                       • Technical and supervisory personnel: 21,672 euros
                       • Farmers, farm workers: 21,114 euros
                       • Other intermediate professions: 20,990 euros
                       • Skilled workers: 15,547 euros
                       • Clerical, white collar workers: 14,897 euros
                       • Unskilled workers: 13,230 euros
Holidays
          Statutory paid holiday entitlement: five weeks a year.
           % of people taking a holiday away from home: 69%

Approximately two million people in France - 8% of the working population - are union members, the lowest percentage in the European Union.

The main central trade unions are: the CGT (Confédération générale du travail/general workers union), the CFDT (Confédération démocratique du travail/general workers union), FO (Force ouvrière/ blue collar union), the CGC (executive Trade Union ) and the CNPF  (CEO trade Union), professional Trade Unions (e.g educators -FEN)


QUESTIONS:  work in France

 1. IDENTIFY:
    SMIC ? 
    Main French Trade Union (3).     Are the French more or less unionized than the Germans today?
 2. 35 hours of work: (see online articles)
      -What argument is put forward to defend the reduction of working hours in factories?
      -Give your opinion.

3.  Comment on the Consumption habits of the French and their earnings.

4. Relation between Work and Public Services? What characterizes the French approach (and European "model")?

4.     Reflection/ critical thinking: New poverty? What are its causes? Who is targeted ? (in US? In Europe)


Films with a social content:
Rosetta: find it at Movie world, Lab 403/ Waterfield Lib Media center
 The Son of the Shark  (both at Movie World)
Riens du Tout (in French) ask instructor
Mama , there is a man in your bed (Waterfield, reserve)
Human Resources (Film presented at Cinema International in 2001)