The evening times., 1899-07-04
ACCIDENTS TO WoRKMEN.
French Laws Providing for the Care
of industrial Employees.

of Industrial Employees
Consul Brunot of st. Etielne, trans
mits to the State Department printed
copy and translation of the new law
which went into effect on June ! relative
to accidents to workmen in France.
Omitting the minutiae usual to legal
documents of similar nature, and which
render the report too voluminoas for pub
lication. the following abstracts cover the
vital points of this new law:
Indemnity NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. occur
ring in the course of work to workmen
ard employees in the following occupa-
tions: Building. workshops, yard work
manufactures transportation by land ana
water. leading or unloading, shops, mines.
ouarries and every operation, in whole or
in part in which are manufactured OF
! handled explosive materials or IN whlcn
/ use is made of motor power other thah
that of man or animals-give the victim,
or those depending directly upon hlm,
/ right TO indemnity at the expense OF the
| head Of the enterprise. on condition thAt
the interruption OF work e&ceeos loul
days.
..Indemnity-For actual and permanen MT
incapacity. a pension equal to two-tAiIds
the annual wages of the incapacltated;
for partial but permanent incapacity' 10
one-half the difference between his regu-
Z lar salary and his reduced salary, occa-
stoned bv the accident; for temporary IN
/ capacity, daily indemnity OF one-hail
! the wages of the incapacitated at the time
! of the accident, the indemnity beginning
on the fifth day of the accident. When
/ the accident proves fatal, pension is al
lotted on the following conditions to the
persons stated:
/ "ta) 4 life pension, equal TO ~ per
! cent of the annual wages of the victim, 10
| the surviving widow tor widower), VINO Is
/ neither divorced ror separated, the mar
| riaee to have been consummated prior 10
| the accident Should the WIDOW marry
she forfeits her right to this pension, out
will be allotted three times the amount
! of her annual pension IN one sum as
| final adjustment.
"n0 For the children, legitimate or nat
| ural recognized before the accident or
phans of father or mother, under sixteen
| wears of age, pensions, calculated on the
annual wages of the victim, OF 10 per cent
| of those wages in the case OF only one
| child. % per cent if there are two children.
| 35 per cent if there are three children, ana
| 40 per cent for four or more children. For
children deprived of both parents the PEN
| sion is 20 per cent for each child, but can
not exceed in the aggregate 60 per cent
! '.fc) If the victim leaves neither Wldow
nor children, as per ta) and I'd, each Oh
the ascendants who depended on him Will
receive life pension, and the descendants
a pension up to sixteen years. This pen
sion will be equal TO 10 per cent of the
annual wages of the victim, but in no case
can it exceed 80 per cent. These pensions
(c) can be reduced prcportionally, accord
ing to circumstances.
1.-The pensions allowed in virtue OF the
present law are payable quarterly, and
cannot be transferred, nor are they sub
ject the seizure.
Foreign workmen, victims of accidents
in France who cease to reside in French
territory at the time of the accidents Will
| receive no indemnity.
Employers are also held responsible for
medical, pharmaceutical, and funeral ex-
penses. The maximum funeral expenses
cannot exceed 100 francs S19-30).
Employers can relieve themselves, dur
ing the thirty, sixty, or ninety days 1oi-
; lowing accidents, of the obligations of pay
, ing TO the victims the expenses Of the ac-
cidents and the temporary indemnities OF
! parts only of these indemnities, as speci-
, | fed herewith following, if they can show:
'.(al That their workmen have Joined a
| mutual aid society and they (the employ
ers) have paid their share of the subscrip-
! tions to such society by mutual agreement;
! but such share snail never De less tndI
one-third the total subscriptions.
'.ObI That such society assure its mem
! bers, in case of accidents, during thirty
sixty. or ninety days, medical care and
daily indemnity. If such indemnity is les:
than ene-half the daily wages of the in
jured, the employers must make good the
: difference.
Full pensions and indemnities are al.
. lowed on wages amounting to- 2,400 franc!
y (s463.20) per annum; on all wages above
that sum, pensions and indemnities arr
calculated at the rate of one-fourth thu
= | regular allowances.
! FWcrkingmen and employees cannot, b.
| reason of accidents of which they are thu
| victims in their work, invoke any othe
S provisions than those of this law.
= independently of the action resulting
e from the present law, the victim, or his o
her family. possesses the right to CLAIM
damages for the injuries caused by th
authors of the accident other than employ
: er or his workmen. according to the rule
n of common law. The indemnity allowed il
;such case will exonerate in the same pro
= portion the employer froT the obligation
imposed upon him by the accident. Thi
action against a third party irresponsible
for the accident can be exercised by tn
employer at his own risk, should the fami
Dr. ly of the victim fail to prosecute.
Te "At the time of the definite settlement
er of the life pension, the victim can ask tha
st / one-fourth of the capital necessary to es
7 | tablish such life pension calculated &C
n cording to the tariffs made out for victim
ts of accidents in the reserve fund for ol
age) be paid to him in money. He can ais
ask that his capital less the one-fourt