Oh Lucien, Lucien, Lucien...
I was reading through some French websites over the past couple days and it looks like Lucien Bouchard has ruffled some feathers here in Quebec. If I’ve read it correctly, it seems ol’ Lucien has sounded off about the work week in la Belle Province (and no, not the fast food chain). Bouchard did an interview for TVA during which he said:
«On ne travaille pas assez. On travaille moins que les Ontariens, infiniment moins que les Américains! Il faut qu'on travaille plus.»
Very interesting. While he doesn’t call the Quebecois lazy, it’s still a pretty sharp comment. It shouldn’t surprise anyone, though. Bouchard has always had a Conservative outlook, so it makes sense that he would call out the more socialist mentality of Quebec. Needless to say, the union leaders were unimpressed. According to Sylvie Dugas:
Les chefs syndicaux rappellent que c'est l'ex-premier ministre Bouchard lui-même qui avait amendé la Loi sur les normes du travail pour réduire la semaine de travail de 44 à 40 heures, à la suite du Sommet sur l'économie et l'emploi en 1996.
She goes on to quote François Vaudreuil, President of the Centrale des syndicats démocratiques, who said that working more hours isn’t synonymous with the collective well-being and that this generation is more interested in family values than economics.
Despite the outrage expressed by the union leaders, Bouchard was essentially right. Take my job, for instance. In Ontario, I would likely be working 37.5 hours per week, but here my work week tops out at 33.75 hours. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. So would productivity increase by encouraging a longer work week? I see no reason why it wouldn’t. Sure, there will be the nay-sayers that will cry wolf about the potential for burnout, but I don’t think that it would become some sort of widespread epidemic if people put in a few extra hours per week.
This reminds me of a conversation I had on the way to the airport with a Fraternity brother from New York. He was recounting a discussion he had had with a European business colleague wherein he said (paraphrasing now, of course), “Why are we Americans the top economic power in the world? Because we put in the time and bust our asses for what we want. You don’t get something for nothing in this world. Put in the time and you’ll see the benefits.”
Obviously there’s more to the American success than work ethic, but I thought the comment was interesting. So what do you folks think? Should Quebecois work more? Feel free to discuss it in the comments section. Til next time…
Labels: lazy workers, Lucien Bouchard, Quebec
posted by Al B Here @ 1:54 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
'"Why are we Americans the top economic power in the world? Because we put in the time and bust our asses for what we want."'
Save the jingoism. It's a load of crap. The U.S. has built an economy based on risk where perceived value is more important than actual value. It's an economy built more on speculation than hard work. Whether you are looking at historical examples like bootlegging or current ones like the boom and bust of the .com's, the story has had less to do with hard work than taking a risk. That's also the reason the average American salary is $34,268 versus $289,664 on Wall Street (according to CNN).
It is also worth mentioning that success in business is often a product of leverage rather than hard work. How many examples would you like that display the willingness of the U.S. to play the bully?
"Work smarter, not harder," that's what I always say. Of course, I'm fundamentally lazy.
Since Al is busy doing a load of Landry, here's a heartwarming Hallowe'en story from London, Ontario:
I was doing some grocery shopping at the terrible Loblaws store in the neighbourhood when I saw a little kid in a Hallowe'en costume running through the aisles. He couldn't have been more than seven or eight years of age. He was all excited about being in his new costume though I wasn't sure if he was a bumble bee, a superhero, or a car jockey from Hertz, but that really didn't matter. What mattered was his unabashed celebration of All Hallows' Eve. I looked at the tyke, his face beaming with joy, and these celebratory words immediately came to mind, "Hey retard, it's only October 25th." I quickly realized that maybe I was being a bit harsh. After all, the wee toad might have been drunk. The end.
Does anyone know why Morgan's heart is two sizes too small?
What are talking about? That annoying little S.O.B. will get the same generous portion of lasagne as every other kid that drops by Hallowe'en night even though he broke the cardinal rule of the celebration: don't get in the way of my buggy when I'm trying to do my shopping. Hell, to prove Chris wrong, I'll even give the little bugger an extra slice of garlic bread. And before anybody says anything about the Hallowe'en treat, please notice that I'm considerate enough to serve a "peanut free" one. No seconds though. Besides, I have to give something better than Chris' homemade popcorn balls painted with a portrait of Jeanne Bekker. I sense a line-up starting as we speak.
One last thing...
Al, it doesn't matter how clever the costume, it's time to stop going out to gather Hallowe'en treats. I know the people of your old neighbourhood gave you bottles of beer in later but it's time to become a resposnible member of the community. Go out and buy the $400 worth of sugary crap that will be required to keep the little hellions from egging your door.
When will we be able to edit our comments? Not being able to do so is so 2005. Here's my revised comment without the ugliness imparted by the brutal Compaq keyboard. They should get rid of the damn CEO of HP -twice. Al, pull the old comment. Anyhow...
What are talking about? That annoying little S.O.B. will get the same generous portion of lasagne as every other kid that drops by Hallowe'en night even though he broke the cardinal rule of the celebration: don't get in the way of my buggy when I'm trying to do my shopping. Hell, to prove Chris wrong, I'll even give the little bugger an extra slice of garlic bread. And before anybody says anything about the Hallowe'en treat, please notice that I'm considerate enough to serve a "peanut free" one. No seconds though. Besides, I have to give something better than Chris' homemade popcorn balls painted with a portrait of Jeanne Bekker. I sense a line-up starting as we speak.
One last thing...
Al, it doesn't matter how clever the costume, it's time to stop going out to gather Hallowe'en treats. I know the people of your old neighbourhood gave you bottles of beer in later years, but it's time to become a responsible member of the community. Go out and buy the $400 worth of sugary crap that will be required to keep the little hellions from egging your door.
Interesting that your revised comment actually has more spelling mistakes than the previous one. I'll keep them both there for posterity, until you submit a new "mistake free" comment. :-P
Just because one works fewer hours per week does not mean one is less productive. I've done the american everybody must act busy and work until at least 7. Nobody was working any harder in that atmosphere than they do in Quebec where everybody leaves the office at 5. There is a lot of busy work, meetings and general bs in the average american work day.
Americans do work hard, but they also have a massive resource base and a huge population. Now those two things are running out and you are seeing this mighty american empire slowly crumbling.
Come to la Bibliotheque Nationale on any weeknight and see the study areas packed with students working extremely hard, right up until the library closes at 10. These young people frighten me because I'm sure they are all poised to come out and take my job. They are working hard.
Lucien Bouchard is an asshole. Quebeckers know how to live their lives. It's something the rest of North America needs to learn from them.
Al,
How is the Landry interview coming? Did you ask him his favourite colour?
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