Where does this weariness come from, this disinterest of the French vis-à-vis work? Journalist and author of several economic books, Pascal Perri poses the debate in an uncompromising essay, Lazy Generatione, published by the Archipelago. Behind this provocative title, a subtitle more consistent with the subject of the book, searched and serious: “Why so many French people have lost the taste for work”. With an argument supported by the points of view of economists, bosses, politicians, he questions the excesses of our relationship to work, a phenomenon which, according to him, finds its origin in the wave of deindustrialization of the 1980s. and especially the health crisis have finished demotivating us. All this, fueled by the simplistic speeches of apologists for universal income and the “right to laziness”, in vogue within the radical left.
L’Express: After writing on ecology and pensions, you tackle the deterioration of the relationship of the French to work. What led you to explore this subject?
Pascal Perry: The phenomenon has become very significant! I was interested in it because it is directly linked to the health of the economy, to the country’s level of prosperity and therefore to its ability to redistribute towards those who are most in difficulty. Our social model, one of the most generous in the world, is backed by work – a legacy of the National Resistance Council. You create your own rights with your work, you don’t beg the State. However, I see a questioning of work, while the quantity of work and productivity are the only guarantees of the maintenance in France of an ambitious social model in terms of pensions, health protection, family policy. If we want to keep our social model, we have to work harder and better. An intense public debate on work should have taken place before addressing the issue of pensions because there is a link between the labor market today and our ability to maintain some of the most generous pensions in the world, in a a country that is aging and where life expectancy is increasing.
What role has political speech played in the devaluation of work?
I knew the left of the 20th century which defended the value of work. Today’s has abandoned the working class. Within the left, some even defend “the right to laziness”, at the risk of sending the country into bankruptcy. Note the rare discordant voices, such as those of Fabien Roussel, holding a decent salary, and that of François Ruffin, who affirms that it is necessary to “heroize the workers”.
I tried to identify the major stages that led to the devaluation of work. This phenomenon began with the great wave of deindustrialization of the 1980s in the textile sector and in the steel industry. France then invented social support systems at the end of professional life: thousands signed early retirement at 52, while the retirement age was set at that time at 60. It was a real mistake while our German neighbors were investing massively in the modernization of their industrial tool. The second stage dates back to the era of the fabless economy, the factoryless industry championed by Serge Tchuruk [NDLR : alors patron d’Alcatel, au début des années 2000], which only wanted to retain economic intelligence and innovation, and delegate manufacturing to low-cost countries. What followed was a disaster. The 35 hours paid 39 hours were added. And in 2020, collective psychology changed with the Covid. The French felt that work no longer occupied a central place in their lives, especially since the state financed the salaries of eleven million people during periods of confinement. In a country where the unemployment insurance system is already flexible and generous, this has reinforced the decorrelation between work and income. The bosses say it, the Covid effect was worse than that of the 35 hours!
Pascal Perry
© / DR
The book is called “Génération Farniente”. But the subject is not generational in the sense that some might understand it. This is not a phenomenon unique to the youth of the 2020s…
There is a tendency today among young people, often the most trained and educated, to prioritize their personal life, which is reflected in their demands for working conditions. But there are also people over 55 who are exhausted or tired of working. The phenomenon is transversal, it crosses all age groups.
Does working less mean being happier?
There is confusion in the minds of the public between happiness and well-being. Happiness is personal life, well-being is the world of work. It is true that in French companies, management methods are still too often caporalist, too often vertical. Laurent Cappelletti, management teacher at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, worked on the subject, demonstrating that poor management represents a considerable loss of added value and that it is also a disincentive to work. The issue of governance in companies must be examined, we must get out of verticality, move towards more cooperation, including in administration.
Should we question the traditional model of wage labor?
Historically, the left and the revolutionary unions accused employers of wanting to dismantle wage labor, but that’s not true! It is today the young people who refuse the wage-earning and the CDI. Some of them want to buy freedom, free time and prefer mission contracts, refusing to comply with the employment contract, which is based on subordination. The questioning of the wage system therefore does not come from the company, on the contrary, especially in this period of labor shortage. This is a destabilizing factor, especially in industry, where know-how is precious.
You devote many pages to the essential role of the school. Why is it central in this case?
The school is the basis of everything. However, it has partly lost its vocation to transmit knowledge and its ability to stimulate a sense of effort. The priority is to regain a taste for effort, but you also have to show lucidity in the field of training. We have lost sight of the link between education and employment. Entire generations of students obtain Bac +5 in fields where there is no demand. This is a source of frustration for some, which can make them all the more sensitive to demagogic discourse.