French are told they 'don't work enough' as minister launches crackdown on Le Sickie to stop country slipping into bankruptcy
Prime Minister François Bayrou is cracking down on those who pull a sickie in an attempt to 'reconcile the French with work', and save the country from bankruptcy.
The country has fewer people working than its neighbours and spends the most on benefits, 'yet the French are increasingly dissatisfied with their public services and we are the most pessimistic country in the world', the prime minister said last week when laying out plans for next year's budget.
President Emmanuel Macron tasked Bayrou with crafting a budget that shaves costs to bring down France's staggering debt and deficit - while also adding billions in new defense spending to face what Macron says are resurgent threats from Russia and beyond.
His proposed measures include scrapping two public holidays, putting pressure on doctors to stop handing out notes for non-existent symptoms and getting people off work to tell their employers the medical condition they are suffering from.
The level of absence from work in France is one of Europe's highest and at least double that of Britain.
Nearly six percent of employees in the private sector are off sick from work at any time, while the rate of absenteeism has soared by 40 percent over the last five years.
Between 2014 and 2022, there was a 79 percent increase in public servants taking sick leave.
Meanwhile, people staying off work for 'psycho-social' conditions have jumped since the pandemic.
The cost of these absences is estimated at up to 80 billion euros, or £69 billion.
But his plans have sparked outrage among opposition groups on the left and right sides of the political spectrum.
In addition, unions have accused the government of trying to 'destroy the health of the French' as they crack down on sick leave.
Parliament is set to vote on Bayrou's 2026 budget this autumn.
With no parliamentary majority, Macron's centrist grouping must win support from adversaries on the left and right to pass the budget.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
14 minutes ago
- Daily Record
SNP minister says no time to relax in battle against Scotland's drug deaths crisis
Maree Todd was appointed to the role in June following the death of Christina McKelvie earlier this year. The SNP Government's new drugs minister has said she will never 'sit back, relax and say 'job done'' in the fight against Scotland's drug deaths crisis. Maree Todd was appointed to the role in June following the death of Christina McKelvie earlier this year from secondary breast cancer. Despite the circumstances of the appointment, the former mental health pharmacist said she was 'excited' to move from the social care brief to drugs as the Government continues its push to tackle the level of addiction and death across Scotland. The minister inherits a legacy which has been long-criticised by opponents, with Scotland having the highest drug death rates in Europe – a figure which actually increased between 2022 and 2023 in the latest available confirmed data. Just this week, figures showed the number of suspected drug deaths between March and May of this year increased by 15% compared to the previous 13 weeks. The minister said there is a 'consensus' that 'the work we are doing is the right kind of work', but the Government is responding to a 'changing landscape'. When the Government launched its national mission on drugs under the premiership of Nicola Sturgeon, the focus was largely on opioids such as heroin. But that has shifted, reflecting an increase in the injection of cocaine and the spectre of synthetic opioids known as nitazenes. On the latter, the minister said: 'They are unbelievably potent, super-strong, very tiny amounts can cause fatal overdoses easily.' As it looks to deal with the shifting threat posed by drugs, she stressed the need for the Government to be 'agile'. Todd said: 'We've just had our rapid action drug alerts and response (Radar) statistics released this week and we've seen a rise in deaths, a rise in Naloxone use, a rise in hospital admissions. 'We are seeing some absolutely significant and tangible harm occurring because of the change in the drug supply. I suppose the lesson that provides to me is that we need to be agile. 'I don't think we do one thing and this job is done and we fixed the problem that Scotland faces, we have to continually look carefully at what's happening in Scotland, understand the challenges that we're facing, understand the harms that people are experiencing.' She added: 'I don't think I would ever sit back and relax and say 'job done'. I think we've seen some significant progress, but each of these deaths is an absolute tragedy – it's a family who's lost a loved one, it's a loss of potential and contribution to our communities.' The way forward, she said , is a job for the whole of Government, saying there is a need for 'primary prevention'. The minister said: 'We need to be thinking, why is it that Scotland faces this challenge and what can we do to shift the likelihood that people growing up in Scotland will turn to drugs and alcohol as they grow older?' Earlier this year, the Thistle Centre opened in the east end of Glasgow, a UK-first safe consumption room giving those struggling with addiction a safe place to inject drugs. Since opening, the facility has supervised 3,008 injecting episodes and dealt with 39 medical emergencies, which could include administering Naloxone or even resuscitation. 'People would definitely have died if they had not been in that unit,' Todd said. "I think in March, there was a cluster of very profound overdose episodes, I think this is the issue with nitazenes, they act very fast, so people were really unwell really quickly and it takes a lot of Naloxone because of its potency.' In other parts of Scotland without the benefit of a safe consumption room where that specific batch of drug was used, the minister said: 'Where people used it, they did die.'
Daily Record
14 minutes ago
- Daily Record
SNP Government making 'glacial progress' on removing cladding from homes after Grenfell Tower
Willie Rennie said Nationalist ministers had "no excuse" after works were completed on just 0.2 per cent of potentially affected buildings. The SNP Government has been accused of making "glacial progress" in removing potentially dangerous cladding from residential buildings in the wake of Grenfell Tower fire. Willie Rennie said Nationalist ministers had "no excuse" after official figures showed remediation work had only been completed on just 0.2 per cent of potentially affected buildings. The Lib Dem MSP said the removal of potentially dangerous cladding was an issue "where Scotland simply cannot afford to fall behind". The Scottish Government has estimated up to 1,450 residential buildings may need remediation work - including about 250 high-rises. But full surveys are needed to establish what needs to be done on a case-by-case basis, a process known as Single Building Assessments (SBAs). The Lib Dems today warned that just three SBAs have been completed, while there are only two buildings with active remediation work. A further 12 SBAs are underway. The slow pace is despite Government's Cladding Remediation Programme having received 600 expressions of interest, which allows those responsible for buildings to ask for them to be assessed. The MSP said the lack of progress in Scotland contrasts sharply contrasts sharply with the situation in England where 2,490 buildings identified with unsafe cladding have started or completed remediation works. Rennie said: "In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster, there can be no excuses for making such glacial progress, but this SNP Government continues to blunder their way through in slow motion. "This is an issue where Scotland simply cannot afford to fall behind; by moving so sluggishly with the necessary building works, the SNP government are only increasing the risks to peoples' lives. "That's why I am imploring ministers to urgently step up the pace in fixing at-risk buildings and keep homeowners, residents and local authorities informed on developments." The Scottish Government has brought forward legislation which could see a tax charged on the construction of certain new residential properties, in line with equivalent legislation in England. The bill seeks to raise about £30m a year to help fund work to fix residential buildings with unsafe cladding which have no linked developer. Ivan McKee, the Public Safety Minister, previously said: "The Scottish government is committed to doing what is right and necessary to address the challenge of fixing buildings affected by unsafe cladding. "That includes putting the appropriate funding arrangements in place to ensure that the associated costs of cladding remediation do not fall directly onto affected homeowners. "I know that developers share our determination to keep people safe and this levy will ensure they make a fair contribution to these costs, just as they will be doing in England." He added: "I also welcome the continued co-operation of developers who have accepted responsibility for the assessments and any required mitigation and remediation of their buildings." The UK Government has already agreed in principle to devolve the powers needed for a Scottish Building Safety Levy. Labour ministers announced their intention to speed up efforts to inspect and repair buildings in response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London that killed 72 people. The 23-storey tower's cladding is believed to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. The Record asked the Scottish Government for comment.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: death toll from Kyiv strike rises to 31 as Russia accelerates military advance
The death toll from Russia's worst airstrike of the year on Ukraine's capital rose to 31 on Friday after rescuers recovered more than a dozen more bodies from the rubble of a collapsed apartment block in Kyiv overnight. A two-year-old was among the five children found dead after Thursday's Russian drone and missile attack, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Friday, announcing the end of the rescue operation. A total of 159 people were wounded in the strikes, which saw Russia launch more than 300 drones and eight missiles early on Thursday. The EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, described Thursday's attacks as 'depraved' and posted a picture of the bloc's flag at half mast. 'More weapons for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Russia are the fastest way to end the war. Getting more air defences to Ukraine fast is our priority,' she added in a post. Zelenskyy has been appealing to allies for more air defence systems and on Friday, Germany said it would soon start delivering two more US-made Patriot launchers to Ukraine. Germany has already delivered three Patriot systems to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia's military advance in Ukraine accelerated for a fourth straight month in July, according to AFP's analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War. From August 2024 to July 2025, the Russian army captured nearly 5,900 sq km, compared with 1,360 sq km in the previous 12 months. In July, the Russian army took 713 sq km of Ukrainian territory, while Ukraine reclaimed 79 sq km. Nearly three-quarters of Russian advances in July were in the eastern Donetsk region. Moscow fully or partially controlled 78% of the region at the end of July, compared with 62% a year ago. About 31% of this region was already under the control of pro-Russian separatists before the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Donald Trump has said that he deployed nuclear-capable submarines to the 'appropriate regions' in response to a threatening tweet by Russia's former president Dmitry Medvedev. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump wrote that he had decided to reposition the nuclear submarines because of 'highly provocative statements' by Medvedev, who had earlier said Trump's threats to sanction Russia and a recent ultimatum were 'a threat and a step towards war'. Vladimir Putin has said he wants a 'lasting and stable peace' in Ukraine but gave no indication that he is willing to make any concessions to achieve it. The Russian president told journalists on Friday that a peace would need to be built on 'solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries'. Seemingly referencing Trump's comments that he was 'disappointed' with Putin, the Russian leader added: 'All disappointments arise from inflated expectations.' Europe must start seeing the Ukrainian military as a European army, the prominent Russian opposition activist Ilya Yashin told hundreds of Russian exiles in Serbia on Friday. 'The Ukrainian army is not only protecting Ukraine, it is protecting Europe from Russian aggression,' he said in a speech at a Belgrade concert hall. Yashin was imprisoned in 2022 for criticising Russia's invasion of Ukraine and released last year. Between February 2022 and 2024, more than 74,000 Russians registered for temporary residence in Serbia, according to the latest interior ministry data.
