Boss-napping (or bossnapping) is a new coined term for an old activity. It consists of preventing the management (hereafter, "the bosses") of a company, or of a plant, to leave the location at the end of the day, when a deep social conflict is on-going. Those people are held overnight by the workers, who act openly -- they do not hide their faces, etc. -- and without any physical violence whatsoever. The bosses are well treated, well fed, and are not threatened.
As we can see, bossnapping is a tool, among others that the workers use in the event of a social conflict -- going on strike, picketting, blocking roads and other strategic means of transportation, witholding production, etc. In the event of bossnapping, no violence is involved. Only fair psychological pressure. Yes, it is true that bossnapping is a very powerful means of pressure, meant to be used as a last resort weapon. But we consider it as being the appropriate response to the most threating situations for the workers and the employees -- being laid off close to the retirement age, with a very small severance package.
For when the workers find themselves in such a situation, they are nearly helpless. Often they do not have the financial resources needed to bounce back and find a new job, when they are young enough to do so. Often, they have devoted all their time and all their energy to the company, adjusting themselves when asked to. They have been for years the silent -- and often, willing -- victims of a cruel system. So, when the situation turns to the worst, when other means of negociations are exhausted, when the management of a company doesn't care about roads being blocked, or workers being on strike, they have to turn to the only possibility they are left with: making the bosses understand, in their flesh, what being trapped into something they do not control feels like.
Nowadays, because of the financial crisis, bossnapping is becoming a national sport. However, it has long been an integral part of the French tradition, dating back to the Front Populaire of the 30's, and was, until recently, a typical French method. The foreign press is now integrating it as a part of the exception culturelle that French people feel proud of and foreigners respect. Cheese, wine and bossnapping.
In our following speeches, we will give a deeper look at the properties of boss-napping: efficiency, speed, fairness and above all, a little bit of adventure, fun, and respect for the bosses in the middle of a financial turmoil. And that, gentlemen, is priceless.
We are not going to debater-nap you until Wednesday, so enjoy yourselves, and vote for us !
Damien and Laurent
But where is the debate ? Where is the key question thats makes the question a debate ?
ReplyDeleteIt's not because boss-napping has been done since the Front Populaire that it's legitimate and that it is efficient to defend one's cause.
First of all to answer the question asked by this young sexy man who surely spends several hours in front of his mirror every day : the motion is "This House would bossnap".
ReplyDeleteSo the key questions here seem to be quite obvious : Is it legitimate to bossnap? & If you had the choice to bossnap or not would you do so?
Getting to my point on this opening speech, i want first to know how do you feel about forcing someone to do something that he doesnt want to do even if you think that could be better for him to do so?
My point is : what about individual liberties? Even if the bosses don't do the right choices for the firm, these are their choices not yours. And, as a simple worker, if you wanted to make whatever important decision yourself then you may want to start your own business and see how difficult it is to make the right choices sometimes...