The role of the workers union within a democracy

While we are one of the few countries in the EU where voters are obliged to vote, we seem to ignore the fact that after casting our voice in a proper and organized way, carefully executed as an exemplary election for the world to see, we still have these major disruptive strikes organized by the unions. The democratic elected majority gets to form a government that fixes the priorities for the next legislation and not withstanding this very democratic process, we encounter today this actual wave of strikes !

With all respect for the achievement of the workers unions over the past centuries, I feel the time has come to reflect on their role. It definitely cannot be that they form a 'dictatorship' within the democracy. We all had our chance (even obliged) to cast our votes during elections, so when the unions now start the strikes, not limited to a specific enterprise or sector, one could wonder whether those are not politically oriented ? Is this the role of the union? A dictatorship within the democracy? Isn't it time that we respect democracy also from a workers union perspective? We have to recognize together what the playing field should look like, otherwise the elections (the cornerstone of our democracy) have no meaning nor value ....

If you allow me to refer to "professor Paul de Grauwe in De Financiële Telegraaf", we are striking our economy down the drain! For simplicity reasons, we have an estimation of the total cost to our economy of about 1 Billion Euro, just because the unions want to boycott the necessary measures to get this country back on track ! Because of this, we are charging the future generation (our children !!!) with an extra debt of 1 Billion Euro !! Do they realize what kind of responsibility they are carrying on their shoulders ?

We should not be blind to the global economic reality, those who are on strike still have the luxury to work ....Question is : how much longer ?

After so many years of socialist dominated governments, you have still not understood the facts of a global economy ....? If we want to take care of our social system, we need to be able to pay for it and in order to do so, in order to take care of the sick, the elderly, the children, the disabled, the weak...we have to change and stand strong and gain our competitive advantage ! What was once will never come back, but we can once again conquer the future in a global competitive economy. I would like to encourage you to read "Who moved my cheese" by Spencer Johnson, an amazing way to deal with change in your work and in your life .  I recommend our Unions leadership to read and understand what has been written there!

Herman Timmermans

These writings are solely my personal opinion and do not reflect anything else .

Belgium ? Is it real ?

A country you can hate and love, yes it exists ...Belgium.  The only democracy where the minority always gets their way over the majority.  A democracy that is no democracy, it is just a bunch of so called political parties who try to get a majority (whatever politcal program they represent, they all forget about that immediately after the elections) and to get as soon as possible into position to exercise the power associated with this position, fill their pockets with tax money while doing nothing usefull in the mean time.  Voting again a number of useless laws that again put extra useless rules on the community that serve no purpose at all.  A country where you can ignore the constitution when it doesn't fit your needs, a country where you can become a mayor even when you totally disrespect all legal ground rules.  A country where the tax payers not only pay for a King, but also his successor and the rest of the complete family,... maybe I should ask some tax money for all my relatives as well ? .... I could go on for ever !

Yes, it is Belgium!

Time to stop this artificial country ...NOW!!  Time to start building on a new society in Flandres, Wallonia and Brussels.  Time to stop this 19th century artificial country to act as a buffer between France, Germany and the Netherlands.  Time to gain our own identity !  Time for a real republic.

Religion, Opium for the people ?

It seems that we just can not learn from history (or maybe we do ...only the part of history that suits our needs ?)
Reading the news from all over the world, I get the impression we are back to the middle ages, the clash of the religions ?  Shall we go back to the crusades ?  Or shall we declare Holy war ?  What is happening to the enlightenment of humanity .... If you look closely at whatever religion, they do not preach violence, or hate nor do they preach about intolerance !  And still, we seem to end up in some kind of religious wars again ?   Why ??
I have to admit that Karl Marx's statement that "Religion is the opium of the people"  gets a whole new meaning, who are we fooling today ?  Looking back in history,some of the biggest crimes against humanity were always committed in the name of .... ?  I let you complete your history lessons.
My call today to humanity is : "When you believe in whatever God, Allah, .... try to read carefully about the true meaning of your religion .... it is a message of love and not about hate !  Do not trust those who are trying to use your religion for other purposes, remember Karl Marx's !
I hope I did not offend anyone, no such intention was there.  I tried just to make sure that we all can enjoy 2011 ;-)