El#
Many things still have to happen in this sage. Anyone is free to watch and criticize, but I will rebuke sweeping and uninformed statements especially when made by people with little exposure to italian history and politics
It sometimes takes an impartial outsider with business experience to make intelligent assessments. Such folks are normally called "Consultants".
Telling people that "they should realize times have changed" is a preposterous and totally useless statement. Suggesting that unions should shut up or cease, then is simply insulting, as until you can prove the contrary, they represent the victims and not the culprits for the current and past crisis.
Believe this at your peril. Times have changed my friend. Only yesterday I was flying over the Atlantic with PanAm having dinner in the dining area upstairs on the 747 in First Class. Neither exist today. The public wants a bus. That's what they are prepared tp pay for and that's what they get. I'm not suggesting that Unions should cease, just that sensible representation be put in place which responsibly represents the interests of memberrship in a pragmatic way, negotiating within the realm of the possible.
We are approaching this arguement, clearly, from opposite ends of the political spectrum. Understand, however, that my interest in this is purely intellectual and I am in the process of preparing a Business case study on this for LBS. This thread will comprise part of the background to the case. The students will be able to debate all these same issues, except of course that at USD 50K per year there won't be many communists!!