STRANGE WORLD: French baker fined $3,600 for not taking leave!

• The fine issued to Vaivre has been criticised by his many customers.

A baker in France has been fined $3,600 for working seven days a week without taking a day off. Cedric Vaivre owns a bakery in the tourist region of LakeBakey in Lusigny-sur-Barse about 120 miles south-east of Paris. Owing to surge in tourists visiting the region in the summer season, Vaivre decided to meet huge demands and worked the entire week, making fresh croissants and baguettes. Vaivre, 41, was punished for 'working too hard' and was fined for violating his country's employment laws which permits only six working days for all. The law aims to protect workers from exploitation and everyone is required to take a day off per week, even small businesses.

But proprietors are not too happy with the law because in towns like Lusigny-sur-Barse they depend on the summer tourist trade for their livelihoods. Christian Branle, the town's mayor was quoted as saying in The Mirror, "These kind of laws are killing our businesses. You have to show some common sense if you're a small rural community in an area where there is not a lot of competition. We need to allow people to work when visitors need this service."

The fine issued to Vaivre has been criticised by his many customers who called the fine 'disgusting' and now over 500 people have signed a petition supporting his right to work a full seven days.