Good God, How Does This Help Anyone Except Perhaps Helping Government Officials Feel Powerful
A Paris appeals court this week ordered the French cosmetics chain Sephora to close its flagship boutique on the iconic Champs Élysées boulevard at 9pm, angering salespeople who say they have freely accepted to work until midnight for years and now risk losing their jobs.
Following a trend among other businesses on Paris's most celebrated street, Sephora began extending its opening hours in 1996. Its designer perfumes, makeup and other cosmetics were, until this week, sold until midnight between Monday and Thursday, and as late as 1am on Friday and Saturday.
Citing labour laws that restrict night-time work, France’s largest unions collectively sued the shop. An administrative court sided with Sephora on December 6, 2012, allowing the cosmetics giant to keep its exceptionally late hours on the Champs-Élysées.
However, the appeals court overturned that decision on Sunday, agreeing with unions that the store’s “normal activity” does not “make night-time work a necessarity,” as the law states.
jimkimmons:
This is where we're headed. No freedom, government and bureaucrats rule, unions buy government influence, and a competent person of legal age has no authority to make their own workplace decisions. We're all under the thumb (sorry, protection) of the state. I want my nanny!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 24, 2013, 4:51 pmWesternRover:
For some reason the unions are more beholden to the full-time day workers than the part-time night and evening workers. The same was true in Norway, which until recently had a law limiting when stores could open, including grocery stores but excluding gas stations and, for some reason, nurseries (the kind with plants, not kids). The Norwegian police made it known that enforcement was a low priority as long as stores weren't selling alcohol after hours, so you could walk into a store at night and see tarps over all the beer.
September 24, 2013, 5:01 pmkidmugsy:
Shops can open 24 hours a day in Britain except that if they have a rather large floor area their Sunday opening is limited to 10:00 - 16:00 in England. In Scotland they can stay open all Sunday too. The unions were dead against these long hours but lost: the Sunday restrictions in England were a victory for the Church - a rare event in my lifetime, I must say.
September 25, 2013, 6:23 amJ Calvert:
I find the strict adherence and enforcement of dumb laws refreshing. Voters should feel the pain, and hopefully it will inspire them to force changes.
September 25, 2013, 9:05 amGilM:
It helps competitors who don't want to be open late at night.
September 25, 2013, 12:31 pmRick Caird:
Proving, once again, there is not such thing as "good government".
September 25, 2013, 2:26 pm