FEB Calls for Review of Dated Labor Law in France

A survey conducted by Ifop (L’Institut français d’opinion publique) for the French Federation of Bakery Enterprises – la Fédération des Entreprises de Boulangerie (FEB) revealed that 56% of French respondents support the removal of the law prohibiting bakers and bread stores to open all week.

FEB is calling on public authorities to ensure that a review process of these obsolete regulations commits itself and that freedom of entrepreneurship is granted to all bakers-confectioners.

Although consumption patterns have evolved considerably since the beginning of the 20th century, prefectural decrees inspired by a nearly century-old law promulgated in 1919 still compel bakeries and bread stores to close their businesses one day a week, explains FEB.

Questioned in the context of a survey conducted by Ifop for FEB, 87% of French people would like to be able to find bread whenever they want and close to their home, and 56% of them are in favor of removing this obligation.

At a time when the government is undertaking the modernization of the rules governing work in France and where the release of energy is a priority, it appears necessary to grant bakers-confectioners who wish it the opportunity to work seven days out of seven just like other professionals, says FEB.

The Federation is fully committed to the revision of this regulatory framework and calls on the public authorities to open a substantive debate in this area. FEB adds that many artisan bakers are regularly penalized by this situation. The imposed closure of their business deprives them of the economic repercussions essential to the maintenance of their activity, constitutes a brake on employment and generates numerous legal disputes.

Matthieu Labbé, Delegate General of FEB says: “We draw the attention of the public authorities to the need to revise the regulations imposing a weekly closing day for bakeries and bread stores. The freedom of enterprise (…) must prevail in a context where employment and growth are back. The bakery sector is one of the jewels of French gastronomy and its international influence. For this sector to continue to have a positive impact on growth and employment, it is essential to give it the means to succeed.”