Opéra de Paris is hit by strike again
NewsTonight’s performance Oedipe will be unstaged.
Here’s why:
Due to a national and interprofessional strike movement, followed by some of the staff of the Opera, the performance of Oedipus on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 will be given in a concert version .
The Paris Opera regrets the late nature of this announcement, which results from the right of employees to declare themselves on strike a few hours before the start of the show.
To the spectators who will attend this performance and in compensation for the inconvenience caused, the Opéra national de Paris offers a voucher per seat worth approximately 50% of the price listed on the ticket, valid for one year, usable for purchase of tickets for the show of your choice.
A strike? After all that the arts world has gone through during the Covid pandemic, with opera houses in particular being put in very precarious situations!
If something so ill-timed, stupid and out of touch with reality had to take place anywhere in the world, just when opera houses are trying so hard to get back on their feet and lure back the public, France would be obvious candidate for such a moronic, selfish and insensitive action.
I have nothing more to add, as all the endless past violent and absurd strike actions that come out of France speak volumes for how hopeless that place is.
“moronic, selfish, and insensitive” are words that come to mind when reading your post, actually.
It is not selfish to collectively fight for their rights. How dare the workers not submit to the harsh oppressive disciplinary work culture of our “real world” post-pandemic, you say? Well maybe that’s why French healthcare is one of the best, the poverty rate of the elderly the lowest in Europe, life expectancy much longer than in US or UK, and over all, have a better sense of well-being and quality of life.
If you don’t have the balls to stand up for your rights and make your life better, instead preferring to submit and live a dreadful solitary life, then that’s your choice. But no need to spew vindictive and resentful comments about those who are actually fighting to make their lives better.
You reply to my message is so typical of the anachronistic, disconnected, old-fashioned “revolutionary” French mindset.
First, I have nothing against workers striking, I have even done it twice myself. What I, and so many in the world find ridiculous, is how French people know very little else and never strike with intelligence and strategically, but rather with vengeance and outdated class warfare animosity.
Second, France’s healthcare system is not what you claim it to be. It may have once been true, but that supremacy is long gone. The recent Covid pandemic exposed the dreadful state of France’s healthcare system and its inability to even provide their population with masks, let alone their being the alone U.N. Security Council nation unable to develop a home-grown vaccine. Have you ever been in a French hospital as a patient? I have. Paint peeling from the walls, dirty toilets, rude and uncaring staff, etc. What was once rated one of the world’s finest healthcare systems is today in shambles.
As for your last point, about people standing up for their rights, etc., why is it then that with all the endless strikes that take place in France, along with two years of “yellow vest” mayhem and chaos, that little there ever changes? An intelligent and pragmatic society would realise that perhaps they should change their strategy.
Finally, I leave you with this question:
How can you explain that in France, today ranked the highest taxed nation in the world, with the highest rate of wealth redistribution, the standard of public services ranks among the lowest, education (lowest in the EU in maths and sciences), English language skills (lowest in Europe), and on what is the most revealing index, ‘The Human Happiness Index’, France is ranked the most unhappy in Europe and even more unhappy than people living in war-torn Syria and Afghanistan.
The constant repeated unfruitful strikes that you are applauding are nothing more than manifestations of a tragically unhappy society that needs to regularly express its misery and frustration in this old fashioned way.
I live in France. You description has nothing to do with what I experience every day. Maybe you should move to another country.
He probably just had his heart broken one way or another 40 years ago in France. Poor thing!
Unfortunately, you are entirely misguided, or purposefully citing misinformation. France does not have the lowest English proficiency in Europe, far from it. The happiness index does not place France below Syria and Afghanistan, and tertiary education level in France is well above the average EU level. These are information one can easily find and verify.
Yes, as a matter of fact, I have been to French hospitals and they were perfectly fine, unlike what you describe. France, like most countries, was not perfect in its response to Covid but their vaccination rate and excess mortality rate speaks louder than your nonsense.
You have it in your head that the “French” (pure generalization), strike “with vengeance and outdated class warfare animosity”, and then try to back it up with false claims and limited personal anecdotes. A scientific mind would caution you to reverse the process. Start with proper information before making up your mind on something. I’m sorry you had a bad time while you were in France. Talk to a therapist about it and try to get over it.
As an educator myself and being responsible for curriculum, I am very aware of comparative statistics between EU and non EU countries. I must agree with the person who stated that the French education system is at the bottom in many areas. You need to correct your position:
https://newsbeezer.com/franceeng/french-students-were-among-the-lowest-in-europe-and-the-oecd/
https://www.thelocal.fr/20181108/french-ranked-worst-in-western-europe-for-speaking-english/
https://euobserver.com/education/135917
https://www.france24.com/en/20161129-french-students-rank-last-europe-eu-maths-science-timss-study
I will not comment on the French healthcare system, but I have been told that it is in serious decline by a French resident friend.
Hey, thanks for the response. I understand your concern if you really are an educator, but I’m afraid your information is not up to date. The links you cite are from many years ago. For example, France ranks 28th in English proficiency in 2020. Not the highest, but still higher than Italy (30th), Spain (34th) etc.
https://www.ef.fr/epi/
You can also check this comprehensive report on education if you are interested:
https://www.oecd.org/pisa/Combined_Executive_Summaries_PISA_2018.pdf
You will see that statistics are very complicated, and cherry picking one data does not show the full picture. For example, contrary to your assertion that French educational attainment is declining, it has actually increased drastically over the last 30 years when you look at the fact that 47% of
all 25-34 year-olds in France have completed tertiary education, compared to 44% on average across the OECD.
Continuing to look at the bigger picture, such as how France ranks 7th in productivity, above Germany, UK, Japan etc, 3rd in GDP in the EU, 11th in the WORLD for life expectancy. etc, I think you would find that talks of France degenerating into nothingness is a big myth. This isn’t to say there aren’t problems, or that they are encountering new problems particular to our times.
Life satisfaction polls are problematic in many ways, as countries in turmoil like Venezuela can come up to the top. It is a very cultural phenomenon, and those that ignore subjective perception and rely on numbers also miss things as well.
So to respond to you, yes, I have read and studied before commenting, and it’s a little presumptuous of you to assume I haven’t, while citing information from almost a decade ago! And for your information, we live in France, and we love it here! Maybe you should also try living and see for yourself.
…and just doing a simple Google search I found these troubling facts about something that I was unaware of before. You really should read before you refute others comments, just out of fairness and to avoid spreading misinformation:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/24/french-taught-to-be-gloomy
https://nationalpost.com/news/les-miserables-despite-welfare-state-and-wine-unhappiness-reigns-in-france
https://parisonthebrain.com/2017/05/20/why-are-the-french-so-unhappy/
It was a fantastic concert version performance!!!
“And if the orchestra goes on strike too at the last minute we will just play the cassette for you”
“Opera De Paris is not hit by strike”
Now there’s a headline!
Strike in
-Opera
-France musique
-Durt removal in Marseille
Welcome to France:Where STRIKE is the day-to-day way of life!