Buy crusty, freshly baked French bread should be one of the easiest, satisfying daily rituals in France.
But maybe not on May 1, a national holiday, bakers complain that if they dare to open on traditional workers’ rest days, they dare to work for inspections, fines and even prosecute.
Whether the bakery can open on May 1st and there are different rulings and various loopholes.
However, five bakers from the western seller area were dragged in court on May 1, 2024 for breaching the rules after being arrested for a case that has received widespread attention in France. They were both acquitted last week.
The government is now supporting legislation, which will make it clear that as long as employees work voluntarily, bakeries and similar businesses, such as flower shops, can open on May 1.
Labor and Health Minister Catherine Vautrin told AFP that “the government will support this initiative because it protects citizens’ rights and meets the expectations of bakers and other important workers.”
She added: “This article is not limited to bakers: this will bring clarity and legal certainty to all relevant professions.”
– “The law is ridiculous” –
According to AFP's text, centrists of French upper house senators are introducing the bill, which is intended to adapt to “the reality of the law to the ground.”
This will allow the basic business to open in a similar way on May 1, similar to how it opened on Sunday.
“This is by no means arousing doubts about the public holidays and non-work nature today, but rather a recognition that the specific nature of certain activities, such as bakeries or florists, play an integral role in our daily lives and in our cultural heritage,” said centrist Senators Annick Billon and Herve Marseille.
They hope to put it on the Senate agenda “before the end of June.”
However, the Hardline CGT union said it opposed “any questioning public holidays and non-work status on May 1” and supported the Labor Inspectorate agents to “intervent to ensure they are respected.”
Sunday's right-wing daily Du Dimanche called the current situation “legal absurdity.”
Due to the loophole, some bakeries have been able to open to the public on May 1, meaning businesses offering institutions such as prisons or nursing homes can sell bread to customers.
The bakery manager can also be opened alone without using any staff.
But if the labor inspector believes that a fine is violated by the Labor Code, the fine is devastating for businesses with tight profit margins, ranging from €750 per regular employee to €1,500 per worker for a minor.
Fabrice Collet, owner of Maison Collet Bakery in central Paris, told AFP earlier this month that he asks himself the same question every year: “Only open on May 1 or not?”
He has been inspected and fined for several years, but said sales are richer than usual.
“I'd probably sell 1,300 traditional baguettes on May 1 compared to the usual 800. Last year, we sold 1,000 pastries, compared to the normal date of 360.”
BPA-JMT-SJW/ADP
