Wiggy ,worked for the best part of 20 years in france and to be sure any job connected with the state has had enormous benefits including subsidised holildays etc.....the 35 hour week has not helped productivity/competitivity,so it is not an enigma that the french economy is discovering that it is really in deep poo.The problem in france is that the unions are ALL powerful and that change will be even more painful than in the uk