Eh bingo… When the experts had a look after the huge problems of the Eurostar in December they discover how not prepare at all the company was. In theory, Eurostar is just amazing, 2h and a bit more than a half and you are in central Paris and London… Just the best transport ever… But but but…

What the experts said

After several weeks of investigation, the experts concluded that Eurostar didn’t prepare their trains for winter, they didn’t take care of their trains that become quite old and need more precaution. An other point: a big lack of information for the customers. Bouh…

The Eurostar is owned predominantly by the SNCF, let’s French people… So now, my little French fellows, you can all shut up and stop criticize the English system… Because you are doing the same… And on top of that, you are a public transport that is even worst…

Independent experts

Some independent experts from the UK and France among them Christopher Garnett from TFL will give their conclusion on the Eurostar incidents tomorrow… Let’s see if they have the same concerns…

Breakfast in business

Whatever, Eurostar should be one of the transport ever. And regarding my own experience, it’s not amazing. Delays very often, no real information, the staff not nice especially the French staff… And it’s fucking expensive… At least we pay a lot, so the service should be good enough… The only good stuff are the food in business, the newspapers in business, St Pancras station, and when the Eurostar is on time….

What about you, bad or good experience with Eurostar??? Do you Kare ?

24 suicides in 18 months in the same company: France Telecom. Even in the UK, British people talk about that big problem. France Telecom is not the only French company where people committed suicide because of work. Renault had also got the same problems but not so many people. So why ?

A French case ?

France Telecom

Maybe yes. In France, company life is different than in the UK. It’s more quiet, less pressure. In the UK, people are used to be sacked without any reason and without any money. In France, not at all it’s the same system, employees are protected. So if big changes in a UK company will happened the employees reactions will be certainly different. But speaking about different, in France is like that so bosses and managers should take in count the national culture.

France Telecom was for a long time a public company. Now it’s private and since few years, the management change a lot. Employees are relocated without being asked before. Sometimes it’s people who are 50 years old. It’s quite hard to be treated like that and especially to don’t be recognized as an individual. Targets are more and more tight, they ask people to change job completely without asking them. For all of that and also for sometimes a bad ambiance France Telecom is the theatre of a lot of (too many) suicides.

Reactions…

Didier Lombard, CEO

What France Telecom bosses think ? Not that much, they apparently don’t have a good brain either an heart. Three weeks ago one of them talked about “suicide fashion” at France Telecom in front of the camera. Well done !!! Some unions want to sue the company, maybe some families of the victims as well…. Yesterday, they said, they are going to stop the relocations system …

We will see…..

Today the MP of Economy in France has announced the recession is finished in France. Good news. In the UK it’s still not the case. Because the financial system is different and also because the GBP is quite in the shit… Maybe now UK people you are going to think about taking the Euro, aren’t you ???

France progress

Christine Lagarde MP

Against all the economic predictions, France is not anymore in recession after the big crisis we had. French GDP  rise of 0.3% in gross domestic product in the 2nd quarter of the year. In contrast, the British economy shrank by 0.8% in the second quarter, although it too is forecast to emerge from recession soon. Soon but when ?

UK in Eurozone

UK stays UK

UK people don’t want Euro but maybe after seeing Eurozone countries are getting better because they have a common currency, they will change their mind. If the Conservatives will win the next elections for sure it’s not gonna happen. It’ll be even worst, they maybe will go out even more from EU. But if the Labour maybe they will reconsider the option ?

What do you think about that ?

The ministry of Labour has suggested one bank holiday more in the UK. Very very good idea. Because we just have 8 days off that is the country in Europe with the less bank holidays. Compare to France of course it’s ridiculous.

8 days… hard !!!

The city ... Business center of London

It’s not enough 8 days. That’s why the MP Yvette Cooper propose the 28th of April as a day off. For now on it’s just a suggestion, Downing street has to approve it. But the thing is, some lobbies are against. They think of the money lost for their companies. This reaction is normal after all, UK is the most capitalistic country. The 28th of April is also very symbolic. It’s an international to remember security and health at work. In my opinion, I think one day more is quite good just because after end of august, there is no bank holiday til Christmas. People get tired and what they do ? They say they are sick to stay home. So the productivity gets down even more…

13 days in France

Bank holidays in France

In France, it’s the country in Europe with the highest nmber of bank holidays. And what about the productivity ??? We are the second country in Europe after Germany. France has got a social history, that’s why we can’t have less. For several years, they tried to remove one. But it didn’t really work and they put it again in the calendar this year. Even US have more bank holidays than the UK : 11 days…

So go on Yvette…. Everybody Kares !!!

Tomorrow it’s the 1st of May, a very important day in France and in quite the whole Europe…. maybe I should say the whole continent… Why? Because in the UK, there is no 1st of May apart in the calendar. It  is one of the main distinction between Europe and the UK. And, in fact, if you look closer in the UK history, the 1st of May should represents something important… Not labour day like in France obviously but a major part of their history…

The 1st of May in the UK

Tomorrow like everybody in the UK, I’ll work, thinking whole Europe is on standby and will enjoy its day off, to go to a traditional demonstration with the unions. Anyway, I chose to live here so … But I discover the 1st of May can represent a big day for the UK as well. In 1707, England ans Scotland signed a union act, and like that Scotland became a part of the UK. But who knows why they don’t want to celebrate it, bad memories ??? But for who ???

Anyway, if English don’t have 1st of May off, they have the 1st monday of May, and this, every year. They call it, May Day Bank Holiday… Oh my god!!! My turn to think, “Mayday” in a proper sens… That shows how the country is managed by the financial system, spirit and way of life. But, no more criticism, there is one big advantage because it’s always a monday, so every year you have a long weekend… Clever, no ?

1st of May in the UK, no choice... It's work

Labour day

In France as well in whole Europe, people celebrate Labour day the 1st of May and it’s quite important. That’s one of the first nice sunny day of the year (generally…), when people go out and walk all together on the streets with the unions, families, friends… After generally, they have a family lunch or enjoy a picnic… That’s in France, maybe the real day of spring. Economically as well, this day is very respected. Companies pay double when people have to work the 1st of May. If there is one day off to be removed from the French calendar it won’t never be this one…

Walk in Paris

And I was close to forget, every 1st of May in France, everybody buy a “brin de muguet’ (Lilly of the valley). It’s a lucky charm, a mark of tenderness, love and friendship… Everybody can sell it on the street without authorisation… It’s a day of economic freedom as well…

Brin de Muguet

Do you Kare ???

In crisis period, people accept with difficulty to be left by their country and company. In England, people organise demonstrations and go directly in front of companies. In France, they confine their boss. A massive difference.

Caterpillar salaries

In France

Two recent surveys show that 45% of French understand perfectly why employees have sometimes to confine their boss. Recently, bosses of Sony, Caterpillar and 3M were confined in their companies as soon as they announced social plans or company closure.

Ségolène Royal the first one said on sunday she understood those kind of actions even if she knows it’s quite illegal. Of course all the right French wing consider confinment unacceptable. Of course… because they are in the government. They just say it’s not allowed but “Sirs, give them a solution”… Instead of that, they want all employees accept it without a word. Do you want them also to say thank you and kiss your arse ? Maybe yes…

That method is typically French…. In England even if people live the same thing even maybe worse it’s a totally different story.

English protester

In England

People use actions but I wouldn’t say softer but less radical. They use humour sometimes. Some of them went in front of banks in the City, asking money to the bankers. “Give us back our money you played with…” without any agressivity. When it snowed in London, they throwed snow ball at bankers. But when the G20 took place in London, the agressivity was multiplied by 100%… No humour at all. They broke the RBS building… So no confinement but the same fed up…

Do you Kare ?

There was a time in France where right and left liberalists politics glory the anglo saxon economic model… All French could have heard “Look accrossed the Channel, it’s full employment, they have huge salaries… we all should do the same…”

UK Anpe

10 unemployed were chasing 1 position

Since the 11th july 2008, the music is not the same. The finance system just felt apart and the rest of  businesses as well. UK and London especially are the most touched by the crisis in Europe. And today, BBC says “10 unemployed people were chasing every advertised job in January of 2009″.

UK unemployment

French! The UK model is still a model for you ?

So, I am asking now to my French politicians, can you keep on saying UK is the model and we should follow them… All unemployed people has got 300£ a month, can you imagine how lifes can be quicly destroyed. Now in England all the economic sectors are touched and the nationalism is growing up…Can you please still saying that and worst can you still try to change our economic model for the UK one .

They just prove the UK economic model works in case of full employment. Just and only in that case…

Do you care ?

This morning all the newspapers English and French, economic or not, right and left, all of them have opened with the same news : Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy. In France, the stock exchange has openened down. In London, they expect 3 000 people less in the City…

Scary moments

I don’t how people who are not related with finance in France feel after that news, and more than that news, the finance context since the past few months. But in London, as French, it’s scary.

Scary because most of French people in London know other French who work in finance. It’s the most important economic actvity in London. That means, a lot of people, are going to come in France. Scary also for London, my adoption city, unemployment will increase massively and inflation will continue to grow.

Capitalism has got limits

That is the demonstration of the capitalism limits. London is the most capitalist city in the old Europe. Everything is based on the money you have and above all the money you don’t have and you want. So loans, mortgadges and credit card are a sort of credo. And when the country seems in a good health every thing is fine, but now it’s just the beginning of the end.

I Kare about that city and about people who are touched and you ?