What Would the French Make of It?

The Country, as Uncle Gaybo used to say, is Banjaxed. Utterly Banjaxed. No doubt its a banjaxment that we will recover from someday, but don't hold your breath and make sure you have spare underpants, because we'll be waiting a bit. There's been a lot of talk about public sector, private sector and the like, but something occurred to me last night?

Would the French stand for this?

I don't like the French .. OK, sweeping statement, I know, but in my limited experience of them, I don't like them. I find them cranky, pernickity and not visitor friendly.. and it's a shame that they live in such a lovely Country! However, on the other hand, I admire them for one thing.

The French don't take any crap from their Government!

The tax increase, dressed up as a 'Pension Levy' for Public Sector workers, is not, in theory a bad idea. Public jobs are, for the most part, secure, permanent, and come with a guaranteed pension, which is a hell of a lot more than can be said for tens of thousands of Private Sector jobs, my own included. I can see the logic of levying the public sector in some way, to reflect this situation. However, what has now happened, is codology in the extreme.

Why should a Staff Nurse, or a Guard or a Teacher lose €60 or more a week? The same is true for a Soldier, Fireman or Ambulance Paramedic. Times are hard enough without losing that much in hard cash! €240 a month is a couple of utility bills, or a Grocery shop for a family! I know that I could not afford a pay cut of that severity.

A blanket levy like this is plain stupid, and the anger it has caused is utterly understandable.

It's not hitting those who caused the arse to fall out of everything, and the burden is not being spread fairly. Ordinary, hard working people, in jobs with a fairly ordinary wage, are taking a hit, while the gangsters and shysters continue to pass 'Go' and continue to collect their massive paychecks.. not to mention their outlandish bonuses.

I'm not an economist or an accountant, so I don't have another solution.. and anyway it's not my job to come up with one.. but here's the point of the title of this entry ...

If they did this in France, the place would simply stop!

There would be a general strike and nothing would budge until such time as the drawing board was dusted off and the issue re-addressed.

I still remember the row over the price of Diesel.. the truckers and the trawlermen and others who needed diesel to operate, simply said "up wit zis we vill not put!".. and the Country came to a halt.

Halted, it stayed, as well, until there was a response.

Will it happen here..? Will we down tools and refuse to pick them up again until such time as the cuts and changes that we all acknowledge are necessary, are applied fairly and appropriately?

Will we demand a return to the drawing board with a united cry of "NO!"

To quote the words of James Gogarty at the Planning Tribunal.. "Will We F**K?"