Restrictive French Labor Laws Hamper Sunday Trading

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Restrictive French Labor Laws Hamper Sunday Trading
(Bloomberg, 2013)
www.businessweek.com/videos/2013-07-15/restrictive-french-labor-laws-hamper-sunday-trading
Just another Sunday afternoon in central Paris. (It’s) time to sit in a café, do some exercise or just relax
and enjoy the sun. But some would prefer to use their free time to do their shopping in this homeimprovement store. Last year Jean-Claude Bourrelier, the CEO of Bricorama, a chain with one billion
euros in annual revenue was forced by court to close about thirty stores that were open on Sundays – even
though his employees had agreed to work that day.
Customers want us to be at their disposal on Sundays. The store closures cost us twenty-five million
euros of annual revenue – or about half a million every Sunday.
But in France only a few tourist areas like this one near the Champs Elysées and some food chains are
allowed to open on Sundays.
Bourrelier also says he had to lay off two hundred people while others saw a cut in their pay.
When we work on Sundays, we can get a day off. And in addition we are paid double. We want to work
on Sundays. In this store we have a hundred per cent volunteers.
The Sunday ban came after unions took Bricorama to court arguing it was against French labor laws.
Working on Sundays does not create real jobs; it creates part-time and short-term contracts. They are
very precarious, and it does not create purchasing power because it reduces the pay of those who don’t
want to work on Sundays. We are in a crisis period. We need to protect jobs, therefore stop working on
Sunday.
Earlier this year another court order banned Apple from opening their stores at night and on Sundays. For
now, these busy Parisians will have to do keep doing their DIY shopping during the week.
Jessica Howard, Bloomberg, Paris
Vocabulary
00. to hamper
01. home-improvement store
02. CEO
03. even though
04. at their disposal
05. closures
06. food chains
07. to lay off
08. while others saw a cut in their pay
09. we can get a day off
10. in addition
11. ban
12. unions took Bricorama to court
13. labor laws
entraver
magasin de bricolage
(= Chief Executive Officer) PDG
même si
à leur disposition
fermetures
chaînes de restaurants
licencier
tandis que d’autres ont subi une baisse de salaire
nous pouvons avoir un jour de repos/de congé
de plus
l’interdiction
les syndicats ont amené Bricorama devant les tribunaux
le code du travail
page 2/3
14. purchasing power
15. therefore
16. earlier this year
17. to ban
18. for now
19.DIY
pouvoir d’achat
par conséquent
plus tôt dans l’année
interdire
pour le moment
(= Do It Yourself) bricolage
Restrictive French Labor Laws Hamper Sunday Trading
(Bloomberg, 2013)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
Just another Sunday afternoon in central Paris. (It’s) time to sit in a café, do some exercise or just relax
and enjoy the sun. But some would prefer to use their free time to do their shopping in this
_h_________-i______________s___________. Last year Jean-Claude Bourrelier, the _C__________ of
magasin de bricolage
PDG
Bricorama, a chain with one billion euros in annual revenue was forced by court to close about thirty
stores that were open on Sundays – _e_________t_________ his employees had agreed to work that day.
même si
Customers want us to be _a_____t______d____________ on Sundays. The store _c____________ cost
à leur disposition
fermetures
us twenty-five million euros of annual revenue – or about half a million every Sunday.
But in France only a few tourist areas like this one near the Champs Elysées and some
_f__________c___________ are allowed to open on Sundays.
chaînes de restaurants
Bourrelier also says he had to _l_______o__________ two hundred people _w____________
licencier
tandis que
others_s________a_c_____________ in their pay.
ont subi une baisse
When we work on Sundays, we can _g______a_d________o__________. And _i___a_______________
avoir un jour de repos/de congé
de plus
we are paid double. We want to work on Sundays. In this store we have a hundred per cent volunteers.
The Sunday _b______ came after _u________t________Bricorama _t___c_________ arguing it was
interdiction
les syndicats ont amené
devant les tribunaux
against French _l_________l_____________.
code du travail
Working on Sundays does not create real jobs; it creates part-time and short-term contracts. They are
very precarious, and it does not create _p_____________p_____________ because it reduces the pay of
pouvoir d’achat
those who don’t want to work on Sundays. We are in a crisis period. We need to protect jobs,
_t________________________ stop working on Sunday.
par conséquent
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Earlier this year another court order _b______________ Apple from opening their stores at night and
a interdit
on Sundays. _f_______n____________, these busy Parisians will have to do keep doing their
pour le moment
_D___________ shopping during the week.
bricolage
Jessica Howard, Bloomberg, Paris