(S)candal in Sweden

Not long ago there was a demonstration by the builders union in Stockholm against the EU initiative Directive on Services in the Internal Market. This directive which I feel is very much needed and in accordance with the EU credos and purposes is seen as a threat to the Swedish union. Of course this is all people seeing their money disappearing down to someone elses pockets, the strategies of the Swedish Builders union and the LO (Country organisation of Swedish Unions) with the goverments (Socialists) silent approval are those that even the late(?) Jimmy Hoffa would have been proud.
An Baltic building firm is bidding on a contract in Vaxholm, a small city north of Stockholm, they win they bid because they are cheaper (and most probably) better than the Swedish alternatives. The union right away screams "Bloody murder" and like the true Hypocrites that they are they put the building site under blockade claiming the Baltic company are not using Swedish collective agreements regarding salaries, of course not, they are not a Swedish company.
The unions are of course grandstanding here, all they see are cheaper labour coming in to take away jobs for themselves. They say that they are doing this to help the builders in the baltic countries in order to get them better pay, however, the deal the baltic builders got was already more than they would ever get in the Baltic and the fact that Swedish workers underbid German companies in Germany is not mentioned by the union. All this is of course done in their own self interest.

So far no real scandal has been made, however a few days ago the Builders union along with the minister for work (Yes we have a minister for that, and apparently he is allowed to go in a demonstration against his own and his party's policies strange, but then again this is Sweden) they all staged a demonstration against the Directive on Services in the Internal Market, not only did they protest but also one of the Gov't unemployment offices sent out a letter to all unionised unemployed builders stating that they had to go to Stockholm and march and if they didn't the unemployment agency would withdraw their benefits. i.e walk in the demonstration or no more money.

Of course this is a scandal, it gives unpleasant images of people forced to attend the demonstrations in old Sovietunion or North Korea. Of course the person responsible blamed stress when formulating the letter, it wasn't supposed to sound like a threat but an option. Yeah, I can see how stressed out that person must have been, oh I have to find all unemployed builders in a union, my gosh how will I have time to write the letter AND contacting the local union to arrange for the busses to take these builder that are under no requirement to protest but I will make them sort of. Geez I need to sit down befpre I scheme a bit more...

The Union and Socialistgov't in Sweden are so closely knit that they are basically one, ruining it for other people when they have a chance to make money and keeping Sweden in the backwater they grab it. It is time for Western Europe to embrace the Service age and let go of the Industrial age.

Sincerely
Mr Silence Dogood