Democratic strikes

Strikes! South Africa is quite used to strikes these days. We hear of another strike and the first thought we have is that it will just be another fluctuation in the level of service offered in South Africa. Then we think, "What a nuisance!"

However, for some, it is just simply dangerous!

You see, in South Africa, when Mr. Union says jump, everybody is supposed to ask "how high and how far?"
The unions think that the government must do as they say and they further think that those belonging to the union must strike with them, notwithstanding the fact that the last I read the constitution, this was and still is a democratic country!

But, don't confuse these unionists with the facts!

The level of intimidation that people go through in this country with each strike simply speaks of the fact that our unions, like COSATO and others, still have not laid down their communistic aspirations. They remain a danger and a liability to this country. A democratic country!

Those that do not want to strike are intimidated and beaten into submission.

Imagine the scene at a public school where some teachers and children attended school. Some union thugs arrived at the school and beat up some teachers and threatened 4th grade children. 10 year olds, for crying out loud! These intimidators are a bunch of cowards! And, the union bosses must not say that they do not hold to this form of intimidation. It has always been like this, and they have done nothing about it, and neither will they! They will lose their display of power.

If these unions had any moral certitude they would kick these intimidating thugs out of their ranks and will not represent them!

My children attend a private school. This past week they had to go to school without their uniforms because there were threats that children with school clothes on would be targeted!

These unions act like a bunch of mafia-type, blackmailing thugs! "You either pay me the money you owe me or I will blow your brains out!"
Apparently blackmail is illegal in this country, but it does not apply to the unions. And don't tell me that the unions want to negotiate their pay raises. They make demands and blackmail the country and its government into compliance. "Give us what we want or else we will bring this country and its economy to a standstill!" That, dear reader, is blackmail!

So far, the government hasn't folded, and let us hope they don't! As long as the unions don't want to play the game of give and take, they cannot expect the government to do the same.

If the government simply gives in to these demands, the unions will be back next year and the year after that. This will lead to complete ruin of this beautiful nation and soon we will have another Zimbabwe on our hands.

Perhaps the government must make some demands in return. Here is a suggestion:
Each person that gets a raise like the one demanded will sign a new contract with the government in which they promise to uphold a high standard of service that must be quantifiable. This quantifiable standard will then be used in future pay raises through proper merit appraisals to calculate percentages. In cases where service providers work directly with the lives of people such as nurses, they may be fired directly without the 3 compulsory written warnings when it can be determined that lives were put in danger or for gross negligence.

This is just a suggestion, and has not been put forward in any detail. Of course, the signers of this new contract would be the employer, the employee and where a union is involved a representative of the union.

If only the unions could start understanding the concept of a democracy and stop this undemocratic intimidationary stunts of theirs, then we could perhaps start with real democratic strikes, but I suppose that is too much to ask from communistic throwbacks!