I don't want to speak too soon, or in any way jinx the progress that's being made in France today where France's rail strike set to ease as talks go on as reported by EuroNews - but I really want to go to LeWeb3 07, in 17 days from today, and want to know I can get to Les Docks, in the outskirts of Paris, where LeWeb3 is being held - and that's going to be pretty tough to do if rail workers (as well as sympathetic Air Controllers) are still on strike.
Update: French rail workers expected to return to work after 9-day strike (good) Whew! and Many French rail union meetings vote to end strike (Reuters Canada):
"...A large majority of local French rail union committees that met on Thursday have voted to suspend a strike, rail operator SNCF said, adding to signs of an end to stoppages that have blocked trains for more than a week.The SNCF said 42 out of 45 meetings voted to suspend the strike over pension reforms that has crippled French rail services since it began on November 13. Many more committees will have to vote later on Thursday.
There had been growing signs of an end to the strike after union leaders and SNCF management began negotiations on Wednesday."
"...PARIS — Striking French rail workers overwhelmingly were voting today to return to work after a transport-crippling, nine-day walkout to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's retirement reforms, initial figures indicated.Rail workers appeared to be ceding in the standoff between Sarkozy and the unions — a symbolic first battle and a crucial test in the president's broad campaign of economic and social change for changing France."
And earlier
"....The transport strike in France appears to be petering out as the unions gear up for negotiations over pension privileges. There's been eight days of disruption, but today the majority of trains will be running. Two thirds of rail workers have returned to their posts. Union leaders say there have been a number of advances which could point the way out of the crisis, such as the promise of increased pension payments for those forced to work longer. But they insist there is still a lot to discuss.
"The social movement has made its stand. Nothing is settled. Disagreements continue," said a spokesman for the CGT union."
From what I've been reading - while most of France agrees that Rail Worker's pensions need to be curbed (they can retire at 55 years of age while most other types of work can not) the cost of achieving that goal would cripple the French Economy, making almost any real reform, next to impossible. It would seem, under the circumstances, that Sarkozy needs to back down, for now, but perhaps, not too easily. However, France needs it's rail service and I want to go to LeWeb3, so I hope the strike(s) are settled soon - I think anyone would want that. According to the Guardian
"...What he may not have taken sufficiently into account is the depth of economic and social conservatism in France, particularly among voters who rallied behind him earlier in the year but expected change to take place without the kind of disruption that has now been seen. Under both Mitterrand and Chirac, administrations backed off, rather than facing down street protests - the tradition of appeasement of the minority is well established. "
"...But if Sarkozy uses force to achieve that, he will only make things worse, for himself and the country. The soggy economy makes it increasingly difficult for him to pull sufficient sweeteners from the hat to buy accord. His overall strategic targets are right, I believe. "
Point well taken, perhaps Sarkozy is right - perhaps the French people are right in wanting Social Change, but it also needs to happen in a way that people living in France can accept - being "right" is not enough - and fighting every battle to the end - is usually not the best way to go.
I think, a wise leader, will opt for gradual change - which, while taking much longer, yet is much more sustainable.
Often, new comers to political power overplay their hand, without getting the necessary consensus. While Nicolas Sarkozy thinks the has the consensus (because he was voted in this year), like George W. Bush, who overplayed his hand, Sarkozy looks to be overplaying his own hand by forcing change at an unsustainable price.
You can't take a country that is so steeped in tradition, and suddenly stand it down - it won't work. It's hard to calculate the harm that bad judgement by leaders brings - but it's pretty clear to Americans the harm a bad leader can cause (I can hardly find anyone who'd disagree with me on this one).
Once, a long time ago, I read somewhere, that being wrong was not as bad as being "incorrect" in one's calculations. People who have misconceptions of a situation, often cause much more damage than people who are simply wrong.
Getting back to LeWeb3, I'm glad my comments were answered in http://www.leweb3.com/leweb3/2007/11/hotels-for-the-.html and http://www.leweb3.com/leweb3/2007/11/they-are-all-co.html#comments and, my gut feeling, is that the situation in France will be settled enough by the time LeWeb3 07 goes on in 3 weeks, and by the time I travel in two and a half weeks.
And while I didn't want to really bring up the question I had about the French Rail Strike, I'm glad I did.
Often, by addressing issues, they become easier to deal with. And if Sarkozy learns anything out of this - it's that people often say one thing, but do another.
Just because the French said they support reform, doesn't mean they're actually willing to sacrifice their whole economy for it (or go on strike for several weeks just to prove a point).
Like they say, a parent should pick their battles (and a President, ought to figure out which battles are worth fighting - it sounds like, this one isn't worth it - at least, not this way) - but that's just my opinion.
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