bringing Slovak labour code more in-line with the mainstream

I believe that the Fico's granting of some of the requests made by the labour unions were not excessive.

Fico insisted that the revised Labour Code will have no negative impact on economic growth and employment. This is probably true as the virtuous cycle that has taken place in Slovakia allows for building a more balanced society, and legislating some minimum standards.

What this means in the real world is that for example employers cannot play around with the law and deny a full-time job indefinately as many did below so they avoid materntiy costs. Practices like that are really barbaric, and maternity benefits are there for a reason. If we do not invest in our future through the next generation, we will suffer ourselves. continuous and ever accelerating accumulation of money and profit cannot be the only criterion of success and status in society.

Globalisation has brought about such a massive free-market shift in politics that to maintain sensible centrist policies, most european countries can and should easily elect left wing governments and still have a right wing tilt...

Anyway Fico said:
"We have to give employees the rights they deserve as citizens of an EU member," the PM said following a meeting with representatives of the Confederation of Trade Unions.

Labour flexibility for the employee means:
- Little or no paid holiday
- unpaid and frequent overtime
- taking on additional duties for little or no extra pay
- zero job security at a time that mortgages are the only way of buying property
- no pensions, or unreliable pension provision at a very old age (assuming that somebody gives you a job after 55 which is a very big assumption indeed)

Very rarely is it a positive.

Many people have bought into the idea that by espousing US style capitalism everybody will be rich. This is not true. There will be winners but most people will be losers. This trend is driven by greedy people and it causes problems in all sorts of aspects of life. From alienation and psychological problems, to obesity, family breakdown, consumerism, enviromental destruction to feed the consumeristic excesses and reshaping everything to a product to be bought a sold. Monetising human relationships and turning all into money is a false idol and will impoverish all of us, mentally, and otherwise.