There is a debate in France over the idea of allowing work on May 1
The French National Assembly is currently debating a bill that would allow certain businesses to operate on May 1. This day is traditionally considered a near-total holiday in the country, which is why the initiative has sparked heated debate among politicians.
This is reported by Le Figaro.
On Friday, the National Assembly held a procedural vote, which marked another stage in the battle over the future of the bill allowing businesses to operate on May 1—a bill already passed by the Senate—and is intended to expedite its consideration amid fierce opposition from the far-left.
The bill proposes that certain businesses—such as bakeries and flower shops—be allowed to open on May 1, provided employees voluntarily agree to work on that day and are paid double the regular rate. Under current rules, on May 1, only the business owner or a family member who is not a hired employee may work as a salesperson.
"Unbowed France" has employed every possible parliamentary tool to slow the bill’s progress—they submitted nearly 100 of the 200 total amendments proposed, including suggestions for a series of additional public holidays throughout the year, and so on.
To counter this tactic, the pro-presidential bloc supporting the bill put forward a motion for the “preliminary rejection” of the bill—which does not mean halting work on it, but rather referring it to a committee for review, after which the process should proceed more quickly.
“We secured a majority in the committee, which is a positive sign regarding the balance of votes in the chamber. Moreover, the initial version of the bill has already been amended in such a way that its impact will be very limited,” noted Tibol Bazen, a deputy from the right-wing “Republicans.”
France will not send frigates to the Strait of Hormuz due to the unstable ceasefire.
On April 8, the Israel Defense Forces carried out the largest attack on Lebanese territory since the start of the war. In a short period of time, over a hundred targets linked to the Hezbollah group were struck.
During the two-week ceasefire with the U.S., Iran will demand payment in cryptocurrency for the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Each tanker must submit information about its cargo, after which it will receive the amount of the fee. Violators face destruction.
