215. Labour Day – Layabouts Holiday
Today is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, but if he could see how the world of workers has been reduced to he would turn in his grave- because the matter in question is; are there indeed any more people left who actually work and pay taxes? Or are they all lying on their couch, receiving their £90 a week social benefit, rent free to boot, with a packet of crisps on one side and a bottle of stout on the other then off to emergency, (National Health, of course) with diabetes or other illnesses associated with obesity? But As Britain is not in the Euro community, I can’t really criticise- that’s only their problem.
This description, however, may make some Italians smile since in Italy there is no such thing as a £90 a week social benefit that allows people to lie on couches, but this is by no means an exaggeration in those Northern European countries where the “Welfare State” does exist such as Finland, Sweeden, Norway and Great Britain.
Nevertheless Italians can’t give themselves a pat on the back, and say how good we are, because as we often see in the satirical news programme “Striscia la Notizia” there is an army of sneaky layabouts who cheat the state continuously, starting with clocking in for somebody else, or themselves and then instead of going to their work place, where obviously their presence is covered up, they disappear taking care of business, their own. Let’s not even mention those “illnesses” regularly prescribed every time the “Championships” , parents’ day, inventories or anything that takes a bit more effort than usual... in those crucial days we are all infected by a strange epidemic illness called “layaboutsism”.
But I think the record goes to Greece, because there, not only do they try to retire even before they reach the age of reason, (okay, I admit, I am exaggerating here- let’s say after 15 years of work or less), but they also want two extra monthly wages a year and a holiday benefit, well someone has to pay for their holidays, don’t they? Angela Merkel, is fine. Then they have to double, or almost, the salary if they arrive on time- this bit goes under “incentive pay”, and here’s the cherry on top, if you are an unmarried daughter, you get your parent’s reversible pension. Hence having your future sewn up, “whose gonna make me go to work?” says she.
Therefore, everyone out in the square to protest against the present Greek government who is attempting to make some corrective amendments to those above norms which seem to come from another planet, certainly not shared by the rest of Europe. But why are the people making such a fuss now for steps that have to be taken? Why didn’t the people wake up before while their politicians stole and cheated from left to right, from up and down and teaching the people to offer bribes so as to get away scot free from paying taxes; before they allowed 40 milliard Euro to be evaded abroad; before they let politicians buy villas, expensive jeeps and luxury yachts with the contributions from the European Union- why didn’t the people rebel, protest then? Because all those “incentives” and “gifts” the government handed out so unconscientiously served the people well, outrageous corruption included, so why upset the apple cart?
My dear friends from Greece, you have made your bed, now do you expect us, the rest of Europe to lie on it... I don’t think that should be so at all, it is your privilege to lie on it. And all your cries, shrills and protests are now, way out of line.
Sources: Pavlos Nerantzis, il Manifesto, Radio 3 Prima Pagina, (30 April 2010)
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(I may have said that before, but it is very relevant after this post.)