Wednesday 24 April 2013

Hollande says no to a 'social amnesty' for trades unionists found guilty of crimes

A badly organised office
Back in February, the French Senate endorsed an insane law proposal submitted by the Communist and other hard left parties for a 'social amnesty' for trades union strikers who vandalise property and commit various other acts of hooliganism in the name of their cause. This law, although it would have excluded those found guilty of physical violence, would have ensured that all those who have been found guilty of other strike and demonstration-related crimes since 2006 would have had their sentences overturned. Pending cases and those on appeal would have been dropped.

The Senate was able to vote in favour of sending it to parliament for a vote because all left-wingers supported it, thus adding to the slender majority of the ruling Socialist party.

Offences that come under the proposed law's remit which I remember being committed by strikers since 2006 include the following;

Ransacking offices, stealing equipment, destroying machinery, arson, cutting power supply, pouring dangerous chemicals into rivers, tying explosives to gas bottles, diesel tanks and reservoirs and thereby threatening to blow up property, threatening behaviour, damaging trucks and other vehicles, fraud, illegal occupation of property and ransacking public buildings.

All of these ofences would have been amnestied had the bill been voted by parliament, but it was not to be.

Hollande and the government have decided otherwise, despite many socialists' advice to the contrary, and so it was that the parliamentary Law Commission decided today to throw the proposed law out. Every single clause of it.

And so much the better.

6 comments:

  1. No kidding! I am glad that stupid law was thrown out.

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    1. Yes I agree. I mean, "I'm a striker so I'm above the law of the land." Jesus, you couldn't make it up could you.

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  2. Beggars belief that one. I just couldn't get my head round the fact that there were some people on TV last night, fuming with indignation that this proposal was thrown out. What planet...?

    And thank God the whole gay marriage thing has finished. With a bit of luck. I would be pro gay marriage but I can understand why some people might be against it. What I can't understand is why they're SO against it. Why they're SO passionate. I mean, it's not as if they're pensions are going to be cut or they're about to lose their jobs. I'd say nobody marching would be directly affected by this law. So why the passion? I wouldn't like to say.

    But I'm straying from your actual blog. Sorry.

    Politics and politicians in this country (more so than Britain, I think) never ceases to amaze me; but this one really takes the cake. Do you remember when the SNCMers highjacked an entire ship? They all got off scot free as well.

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    1. Hey hi Streaky, long time no see. How're things?

      I know. I sincerely think that France must be the only country on Earth which would even dream up the idea of amnesties for strkers guilty of crimes. Staggering ! And yes, I remember the SNCM incident. Ah, the sailors and dockers here are real nutcases.

      As to the gey marriage debate, I've written extensively on that and (there hasn't been much news on it since the vote so shhh... let's keep our voices down....)

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  3. been quiet, but I still read your stuff

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  4. They do think up some stupid ideas at times. I sometimes think I would have made a good politician as I have a great imagination, trouble is I am too honest! Have a good weekend Diane

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