A couple of things show the real aims behind this legislation. One is the "secret ballot after eight days" clause, which has nothing to do with organising a minimum service, but is an old strike-busting ploy.
The other was the government's blunder (followed by furious back-pedalling) in suggesting the measure might be applied to teachers.
Sarkozy is obviously using the safe time he has now, with summer holidays upon us and no really effective opposition, to de-barb the opposition he expects to face in the future by weakening the right to strike.
But Le Canard Enchainé reports that Sarkozy seemed genuinely furious with Fillon for raising the topic of education, so maybe I'm too cynical. Still, maybe they fed Le Canard that anger... In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
But I think Tsarko is pleased to have obtained at least a kind of benevolent neutrality from a significant share of teachers (remember how a number of them swung away from Royal after a video was released and greatly played in the media, showing Royal suggesting teachers might actually be asked to do their 35-hour week on school premises). The "social VAT" slip-up before the parliamentary elections is also probably on his mind.
