Crumbs! Should French bakeries open on May 1?

Paris: Buying a crusty, freshly baked baguette should be one of the simplest, as well as satisfying, daily rituals in France. But perhaps not on Ma...

Paris: Buying a crusty, freshly baked baguette should be one of the simplest, as well as satisfying, daily rituals in France.

But perhaps not on May 1, a national holiday where bakers have complained of unannounced labour inspections, fines and even prosecution if they dare open on the traditional workers' day off.

There is legal confusion around whether bakeries can open on May 1, with different rulings and various loopholes.

But five bakers from the western Vendee region were hauled before court for violating the rules on May 1, 2024 after being caught in a labour inspection, in a case that gained wide media attention in France. They were all acquitted last week.

The government is now backing legislation that would make it clear that bakeries and similar businesses, such as florists, can open on May 1 so long as employees come to work voluntarily.