Pushed by its European creditors amid its crippling economic crisis, Greece began this week to do something it hasn't done in more than 100 years: fire public-sector workers en masse.
Following weeks of tough negotiations with its lenders – the "troika" of the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, and the European Central Bank – the Greek government started laying off public-sector workers in an effort to implement the austerity that the troika has demanded. The first two civil servants were let go on Wednesday under a new law that speeds up the process – one, a policeman, for stealing debit cards, and the other for 110 days of unexcused absence.
"stealing debit cards"?
"110 days of unexcused absence"?
What's more amazing to me is that such conduct hadn't already earned these guys a spot on the unemployment line, let alone jail for the thief (perish the thought)! It speaks volumes about the roots of Greece's problems.
Human behavior is economic behavior. The particulars may vary, but competition for limited resources remains a constant.
- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
Pointedstick wrote:
"stealing debit cards"?
"110 days of unexcused absence"?
What's more amazing to me is that such conduct hadn't already earned these guys a spot on the unemployment line, let alone jail for the thief (perish the thought)! It speaks volumes about the roots of Greece's problems.
The fact it took a new law in order for these to be fireable offenses further reinforces that the root of Greece's issues are cultural in as much as their laws are a reflection of their society.
I've heard similar stories regarding teachers unions in New York.
Pointedstick wrote:
"stealing debit cards"?
"110 days of unexcused absence"?
What's more amazing to me is that such conduct hadn't already earned these guys a spot on the unemployment line, let alone jail for the thief (perish the thought)! It speaks volumes about the roots of Greece's problems.
The US has the same problems. It practically takes an act of Congress to fire government workers. There was a secretary in our building who used to spit (no joke) at people of "the wrong color." She kept her job for 15 years til this colonel I knew worked full time for 2 years to get her fired, then following 3 years of lawsuits and union grievances, she was let go. The colonel said it was his greatest achievement in the USAF.
Sometimes I really wonder. I mean, on one hand you have a lot of willing workers who get laid off from employers that are doing fine, despite being able to do their jobs perfectly well, and on the other hand, we all have a story or two of someone who was unbelievably awful at their job yet seemed untouchable. What a peculiar world we live in.
Human behavior is economic behavior. The particulars may vary, but competition for limited resources remains a constant.
- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
Pointedstick wrote:
"stealing debit cards"?
"110 days of unexcused absence"?
What's more amazing to me is that such conduct hadn't already earned these guys a spot on the unemployment line, let alone jail for the thief (perish the thought)! It speaks volumes about the roots of Greece's problems.
The fact it took a new law in order for these to be fireable offenses further reinforces that the root of Greece's issues are cultural in as much as their laws are a reflection of their society.
I've heard similar stories regarding teachers unions in New York.
Don't get me started... (and this is coming from someone whose parents were both in education):
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
- H. L. Mencken
Pointedstick wrote:
Sometimes I really wonder. I mean, on one hand you have a lot of willing workers who get laid off from employers that are doing fine, despite being able to do their jobs perfectly well, and on the other hand, we all have a story or two of someone who was unbelievably awful at their job yet seemed untouchable. What a peculiar world we live in.
This is why I'm a huge fan of simply putting money into the hands of private sector players rather than creating new make-work. I also tend to be much more likely to vote republican in a state/local election than federal (they hire a lot more people and are monetarily constrained). Of course I'm for expanding infrastructure where it makes sense. But I the end I'd much rather have stimulus checks and payroll tax cuts of an adequate size than a huge battle over weather a green company should get a $20 million loan.
"Men did not make the earth. It is the value of the improvements only, and not the earth itself, that is individual property. Every proprietor owes to the community a ground rent for the land which he holds."
