They should have seen it coming like a ghost ship out of the fog. But they didn't and now the monster is here.
And everywhere I go all I see is suffering. The people in the hospital with cancer or other serious illnesses who are worried about their shrinking savings and how they are going to pay the bills. The little stores with no customers. My friends in Toronto who are having their hours cut until they hardly have enough to live on.
And then there is my friend Scott in Montreal who blogs at Tattered Sleeve.
Who sent me this comment yesterday:
Well I got laid off because the small software company I worked for couldn't make payroll suddenly. They can't pay any of the bills because they can't get financing and they can't get their customers to pay their bills. Sometimes when they DO pay, the wire transfers are held back for ridiculous reasons owing to a European bank in the middle that has no liquidity itself. It's like the whole world's institutions are all suddenly only paying anyone if they absolutely bloody well HAVE TO, like if a collection agency has been busting their chops for months and they are being served with lawyers' letters......
.....I got the minimum severance as dictated by law, by the way (two weeks), and they haven't issued my pay or severance owing. But I don't blame them, considering all the ways they tried to finance the company bottomed-out on them at the same time. Of course EI is overloaded and I have to wait a few weeks still to get anything there. I have to submit my Record of Employment to them, but my former employer is dragging their feet on that too.
You see, they were a successful company with a good product and big ticket customers (some even Fortune 500) - this is all new to them.
They've never had to lay anybody off before...
Can you imagine having to wait weeks for E.I. after suffering the shock of losing your job? Can you imagine what's going to happen to all those who aren't even covered by E.I. and will have to go on welfare to try to pay the bills? Can you imagine the misery?
And what does our Con government have to say about this?
"We are not interested in making it lucrative to pay people not to work, it's not what this government is about, that's not what the taxpayers expect us to spend money on...not making Employment insurance more generous"
Stephen Harper December 19, 2008
"We do not want to make it lucrative for them to stay home and get paid for it."
Diane Finley January 30, 2009
The heartless BASTARDS.
You know I remember a time when Canada was a kinder gentler place. Now these foul inhuman Cons are trying to turn it into a jungle. And I don't want to live in that place. I want my country back.
For Scott and all the other Canadians who are suffering and worrying about what could happen next. And all those who are about to join the growing lines of misery. Force these bastard Cons to at the very least overhaul our useless E.I. system.
Or defeat them, crush them, finish them off....
------------------------------------------------------------
P.S. Scott...you ARE rich...with all the things that count.
Hang in there buddy.....
Remember who changed that EI system so people like Scott have to wait (alot more than 2 weeks) and pay him poverty insurance payments. Remember who sold out for 3 updates only. Ask why people like Scott weren't important their political needs at this time.
ReplyDeleteWell Simon, thanks so much for your support. I am luckily not destitute, but it will be a little tight for the next while. I am working my CV around with a monster.ca profile set up and am looking into my options. On the plus side, my former employer did issue my RoE finally, so the process can get underway officially.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll post something more lengthy on my blog. Perhaps give a play-by-play of my new life as a job hunter trying to get on the dole (or see what comes to fruition first).
Simon, it takes more than 6 weeks to get your check, even if the process is smooth. Just remember when you get your code to go on and file out your cards, and they might post more than one, so watch for that.
ReplyDeleteHi jan...yes I know it was the Liberals and I certainly don't excuse what they did. It was always wrong to use E.I. money for other purposes....and make eligibility harder. But right now I would like all the opposition parties to join forces and put pressure on the Cons to improve the system because of what could happen if they don't. So many people not covered and so much fear even if it triggered an election I think our side would make massive gains...
ReplyDeleteHi Scott...I'm glad to hear that things seems to be getting brighter for you. And I think it would be a great idea to blog about it. You know we blog about so many things but it's the real life stories that have the most impact at a time like this one. They help share information and solidarity...and help create movements for change. I've seen some of that happening in the U.S. and it would be great to be able to do the same thing here.So good luck and I'll be looking out for your stuff...and of course keeping my fingers crossed... :)
ReplyDelete