When Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, some 50 years ago. He had to trust Houston and Houston had the trust him, otherwise they would have been no Moon landing at all.
Sending a manned rocket into space and landing there safely is quite a complex procedure, but in reality such complicated processes are repeated each day at the offices, factories, and other workplaces where we work.
The owners trust the managers, the managers, trust the workers, and the workers trust their bosses. Even the goods and services produced by these processes, are trusted by the clients and other stakeholders involved.
Not only do we work, but we also are involved in electing our public officials and making sure that they do the job they are meant to do. If our political folk start to do things that undermine our trust, then there is a problem.
The saying “There is a problem, Houston” is a well recognised, warning, flashing light for all of us.
It is not the fault of us voters, if the government has deliberately stirred up trouble with the trade unions and the millions of low income folk who have seen their benefits reduced while high income folk have seen a reduction in their tax bill giving them more income.
Since this same government is now talking about tax increases and more austerity measures one may wonder at their foolishness in not really making any serious attempt to balance the books. That foolishness diminishes our trust in government.
Governments in Sweden and Denmark have seldom gone out of their way to disturb the normally peaceful developments in labour markets, In most cases, as has been the history in Finland, the employers unions have made their own agreements with the trade unions directly without the intervention of politicians.
Now we are seeing strikes here in Finland, with outrageous rude behaviour and remarks from ministers in the True Finns, a party in this right wing government. That too diminishes our trust in government.
It is said that Finland’s employers’ union, EK, has been giving the government a wish-list that the government is implementing rather quickly without too much consideration for the trade unions and their members.
Whatever the truth one must be cognisant that trust can only work both aways. Employers at companies, large and small, all know how important it is to keep good workers! And good workers only stay on if treated fairly…
That is a message for our politicians, many of whom have never worked in any company!
Photo: Nasa
