French solve problem of missed deliveries, then go on strike
If there's one thing the French are brilliant at, it's striking. And mime artists, obviously, but mostly striking. The reasons can be many and varied, important or trivial - it really doesn't matter. What matters is that they can get together on a whim and make a lot of noise about nothing much, so long as it causes the most inconvenience to fellow countrymen and, where possible, the rest of the world.
So when La Poste got their heads together with the transport authorities to help their customers out, it seemed as good a reason as any to strike. The idea is to let residents who miss a parcel delivery (or a letter sent by recorded delivery) have it forwarded to the ticket office of their local metro station - saving them from going out of their way to the local post office to collect it. Once a person has signed up, they'll receive a text message to confirm the station has received an item, which they can then pick up any day of the week up until 11.30 at night - perfect for stopping by after work or a night on le sauce.
That sounds altogether useful, but those working in the ticket office had other ideas. Only one station is taking part in the trial that begins next month, but a third of the staff working on the entire metro line went on strike in protest. Union spokesman Cédric Ménival said: "We have more important things to do, like looking after passengers' security and giving them information. What will they ask us to do tomorrow? Sell bread?"
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