The current strikes in France remind me of the old days of industrial unrest in the UK, but with Gallic enthusiasm. The recent London Tube strike seems a pretty genial affair compared with what's going on today - kindly reported by France-24.
Demonstrators staged almost 300 marches across France yesterday. Air and rail services were halved from normal levels and disrupted commuters in major French cities, from Toulouse to Lille through Lyon.
Union officials claimed that nearly 3 million people had joined nationwide marches over the last 10 days. Meanwhile the Prime Minister,François Fillon said that falling numbers of protesters proved that the movement was fading. In reality it may be due to the colder weather.
Last week we returned from a trip to Lille, via the Eurostar. Had we stayed on another day, we may have been there still.
The amazing thing to a mere Englishman is the passion and enthusiasm shown by the youth of France. The strike is all about a tiny increase in the retirement age, from 60 to 62. This is far better than in the UK, unless you're a psychiatrist (they can go at 55, but by that stage in their career few notice).
Compare this French enthusiasm for civil action and future planning for retirement with the British youth of today. Few would know or care about retirement. Far fewer would brave the cold and man the barricades.
That was until today - announced by our Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The state pension age will rise to 66 in 2020 for both men and women. This will affect all Britons who were under the age of 57 on April 6 of this year. We will have to wait until we're 66 before we get our state pension. So I'm there with the French on this one, as I miss out by 6 months.
It will get worse. Ministers are thinking about extending the pension age to 70 and even higher in the following decades. The state pension could be 'indexed' to increasing life expectancy, as it is in Denmark.
But the real reason the French students are striking. Social justice for the late middle aged? Equality across the generations? Not a bit of it. If the retirement age goes up, the old buggers will keep their jobs longer. In an era of high youth unemployment this is bad news. There's only a certain number of degrees you can do before having to get a real job.
They'll be asking for euthanasia at 62 next.
Vive La France. Vive La République.
But the real reason the French students are striking. Social justice for the late middle aged? Equality across the generations? Not a bit of it. If the retirement age goes up, the old buggers will keep their jobs longer. In an era of high youth unemployment this is bad news. There's only a certain number of degrees you can do before having to get a real job.
They'll be asking for euthanasia at 62 next.
Vive La France. Vive La République.
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