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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: steve harris who wrote (351138)	9/19/2007 6:34:22 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 1578962

Sarkozy to reform France's social security By Stephanie Kennedy Posted September 19, 2007 08:03:00 The French President has unveiled controversial plans to overhaul his country's generous social security system. Nicolas Sarkozy is eyeing off the pensions of public servants. In 1995, moves to reform France's pension system led to weeks of protests. Now, the new French President has announced a package aimed at cutting benefits to workers like train drivers and electricity workers, who until now could retire early. Mr Sarkozy says the system is financially unsustainable and he has pledged to negotiate with unions and companies, but he insists the new system will be implemented without delay. The French President also criticised generous social security payments, arguing that handouts discourage people from working. "Our social system is not financially tenable. Our social system discourages work," he said. "Our social system does not ensure equal opportunities. Basically I'm saying, let's stop the hypocrisy." The moves are part of a wide-ranging plan for social reform, aimed at boosting the country's abc.net.au -- ...He'll need more than a bit of luck. In 2003, roughly the same reform touched off a series of crippling strikes (which is still better than 1995, when an attempt to reform pensions ultimately brought down Alain Juppe, the prime minister.) That's why the train and utility workers were exempted from the last deal: for some reason, railroad unions tend to be especially militant, and both groups have the ability to bring the country to a screeching standstill. It's annoying if you can't get your driver's license renewed, but really a tad worrisome if the power to work your ventilator goes offline. Nonetheless, he has to do something; lavish public sector pensions pose a potentially crippling burden on a government that already has quite a lot to do figuring out how to fund all that health care for the elderly. And having forced the reform down everyone else's throats, the government may be in a better public position, since now other civil servants will resent the special privilege. meganmcardle.theatlantic.com