If You Don't Show Up for Work, Don't Expect to Keep Your Job
I am told that in the bad old days of Communism, a person did not have to work too hard because he was always guaranteed a job. In fact, you could even skip work, and your job was still relatively secure. Apparently, many of your Members of Parliament still feel this way.
The last few weeks have shown a miserable attendance record in the Lower House of the Czech Parliament with twenty or thirty percent of the elected representatives absent even during critical votes. For example, only 161 representatives were present for the vote on gay rights legislation a few weeks ago, and last week, only 140 representatives troubled themselves to show up for work during voting on critical privatisation legislation.
During that particular vote, which witnessed the passage of a Communist sponsored resolution calling on the government to halt further privatisation in strategic sectors, the extensive absence of both ODS and US representatives was remarkable. Not even the leaders of these two parties, Klaus and Ruml, bothered to show up. Over the weekend, Lux branded their absence as gross irresponsibility, and although Lux was trying to score political points, his criticism is spot on.
The citizens of the Czech Republic elect parties and pay representatives to serve the country's interests in the legislative chambers and in government. They are there by the grace of the people to serve the public interest. They should at the very least show up for parliamentary sessions.
In the normal world, most people have to work to survive, and that usually includes going to work and fulfilling the responsibilities of the job. If an employee cannot be bothered to show up for the job that the boss selected him to do, he does not deserve to be kept on. If you just ignored your boss and failed to show up for work, you wouldn't expect to keep your job for very long, would you?
As far as the Parliament is concerned, you, the citizen, are the boss. You choose your representatives, and you pay for them. If they don't do the job, you, as the boss, should get rid of them.
The last few weeks have seen some appalling absences and disregard for duty on the part of many representatives. 20-30% absenteeism is absurd and ought not to be tolerated.
At the weekend conference of US, Ruml was heard to say "Politics means serving the people, those who make mistakes must leave." He's absolutely right, but it is clear from his absence at Parliament during crucial votes that Ruml doesn't practice what he preaches.
During the upcoming elections, I hope the citizens take a good look at who's actually "serving the people" and who can't be bothered to show up for work. The boss should get rid of employees that don't show up for work.
