Chirac's Bank Holiday ban is ignored as workers take the day off

I guess people want to spend Pentecost with their loved ones.

The collapse of President Chirac's authority will be exposed today when most French people blithely ignore his decision to make Whit Monday a normal working day.
Although the Bank Holiday has been abolished officially, even
state employees are refusing to work. Schools, post offices and museums will close for the day and the state railway network will be offering a reduced
service.
As if to underline M Chirac's declining power, his ministers have been unable to impose the reform on their own ministries, which are also stopping work. In the private sector nearly half of French businesses will be on holiday, while the rest will remain open.