Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting relationship advice. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide.

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting relationship advice. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide.

Relationships

Dh says he is going to jack his job in tonight

20 replies

RottenRhubarbWitch · 19/10/2005 16:12

I understand why. He works for a French firm putting up crash barriers and occasionally working on the owners dilidated chateau he's just bought. But they work him all hours, very often his day is 12 hours. The other week he was left stranded in Perpignan overnight, 5 hours away, because the truck driver wanted to work more hours the next day and so refused to take him back.
They treat him a little like dirt, not so much as telling him what to do, but yelling at him what to do.
They also try every month without fail to swindle him out of some of his wages. This month he is missing 27 hours. They refuse to pay him whilst he is travelling to and from work, no matter how long this might take. And they kick up a fuss about paying him past 5pm, arguing that he should stop then, even though he often works until 6pm when he gets his lift home.

He cannot go to a Union as he is employed by an agency and is not in a Union. Plus they'd only find some reason to terminate his contract anyway as he's only a temporary.

But it took him a year to find any kind of job in France. I doubt he will find another as his digger qualifications mean nothing here. He has to go on a 5 day residental course and pay 1,500 euros to get his French qualifications. Something he says he will not do as he doesn't want to stay in France.

At this rate we'll be back in England by Christmas

OP posts:

Thanks

Share

Report

Easy · 19/10/2005 16:17

If he's employed by an agency shouldn't they be dealing with the disputes over his hours and pay. Does he not have a timesheet to fill in?

It does sound like he can't continue in this job. You can't expect him to keep taking bad treatment.

Do I take it his spoken french is poor?

Thanks

suedonim · 19/10/2005 16:20

Oh no! I hope something can be pulled out from the hat for you, Rhubarb. Is there any other type of work he can do?

Thanks

acnebride · 19/10/2005 16:29

This sounds hideous Rhubarb. I have no idea at all about French law but would suggest consulting a French lawyer, and/or finding out if there is something like the Citizens Advice Bureau. Hope somebody who knows more about France will come along.

Thanks

RottenRhubarbWitch · 19/10/2005 16:32

There is nothing he can do. He is not a member of a Union, even if he were, they are entitled to end his temp contract. The agency do deal with his hours, dh notes down what hours he works and hands it into the office where he works, they hand in a similar timesheet to the agency with a weeks worth of hours often knocked off.

OP posts:

Thanks

RottenRhubarbWitch · 19/10/2005 17:04

Someone sympathise with me! I'm dreading him coming home!

OP posts:

Thanks

doormat · 19/10/2005 17:13

rhuby sorry to hear this but i cant blame him for jacking it in when he is being treated like shit.

Thanks

RottenRhubarbWitch · 19/10/2005 17:15

Nor can I, I just feel tremendously guilty that he has been through all of this. He never even wanted to come here. But if we go back (or should that be when), what is there for me? I'm happy here, the kids are happy here. Yet he isn't. Half of me thinks, "But you're not trying enough!" and the other half thinks "Give him a break! He's done enough, he's getting depressed!"

Wish there was a solution.

OP posts:

Thanks

sunchowder · 19/10/2005 17:16

Sorry to hear this Rhubarb! I just read the pirate talk thread--maybe you could try to cheer him up with that when he gets home? Seriously, for his own well-being and confidence, it really isn't on for him to be taking this kind of treatment. Hopefully he will get something better and you won't have to come back to England if you are not ready to....I hope the best for you.

Thanks

doormat · 19/10/2005 17:17

i know what you mean rhuby but hopefully he can find something better
ya never know
sometimes things happen for a reason iykwim
xxx

Thanks

sunchowder · 19/10/2005 17:18

thread hijack: Hi Doormat, it's great to see you, I missed you!!!

Thanks

doormat · 19/10/2005 17:19

you too babe sorry rhuby

Thanks

RottenRhubarbWitch · 19/10/2005 17:26

How dare you hijack my thread!!!! STROP STROP FLOUNCE FLOUNCE!!!!

He's back now so I'll be on later, thanks for the support girls!

OP posts:

Thanks

Blu · 19/10/2005 17:44

Is there anything that would make it enjoyable / fulfilling for him? If he DID get the french digger qulaification, would he feel better, doing something he knows how to do, bringing in Euros, etc?
Does he appreciate that the kids enjoy it there?

Thanks

madmummyof2 · 19/10/2005 18:45

what happened?? has he resigned?

im new so sorry for asking so many questions but how come you moved to france?

i really dont think it wise for him to continue working for that company for much longer. maybe he coiuld look for soemthing else while staying where he is...even till after xmas.

hope things are a bit better now anyway

Thanks

RottenRhubarbWitch · 19/10/2005 19:34

He didn't get to see his boss today, so he's saving the resignation for tomorrow, he says. I hope he will have calmed down a bit by then!

Madmummy, I don't really know why we moved here, my idea, I had very bad depression when I was pregnant with my 2 kids, it affected me in a big way, I guess I needed to rediscover myself again, escape the rut I'd gotten myself into. I was living someone else's life. I've always wanted to travel and live abroad, so this was the next best thing.

He does know that the kids are happy here. But I guess when you're miserable and down you can't really see beyond that. And he has had a hard time of it here, but he's stuck it out so far, at my insistence. I can't push him any further. We'll talk about it all at the weekend - again! One day at a time for now!

Oh and his company largely employs foreigners who are struggling to get work elsewhere, that's why they take the piss so much, because what else are the workers going to do? Many of them have families to support, some are illegal, it's either this or nothing.

OP posts:

Thanks

hhhhenleyonthames · 20/10/2005 08:49

What about prud'homme, rhubarb? They do stuff like this.

Thanks

RottenRhubarbWitch · 20/10/2005 09:00

Never heard of them. Been meaning to email you, how's Tresses going?

Dh overslept this morning, I forgot to tell him that ds was playing with his alarm clock, but I presumed that when he set the alarm to go off last night he would have checked himself. He woke up with my alarm clock which made him very late indeed! Ooops! Serves 'em right, poor bloke's been knackered!

OP posts:

Thanks

winnie · 20/10/2005 09:03

RottenRhubarbWitch, no advice I am afraid, only sympathy. I hope you and dh can ride this storm and find a solution for all of you. Best wishes

Thanks

hhhhenleyonthames · 20/10/2005 09:08

here

Thanks

RottenRhubarbWitch · 20/10/2005 09:32

Thanks hhh, I'll show him that when he gets in tonight.

OP posts:

Thanks

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.