Van Rijn gives the Falkayns a private farewell dinner at the Winged Cross where there is still "...an expanse of trollcat rug..." (p. 12):
live but discrete servants
Mozart
beer
akvavit
a dozen smoked seafoods
incense
their host better dressed than usual
two hours from caviar to cheeses
The preliminaries are interrupted by a telephone call that is revelatory about current affairs in the Solar Commonwealth. As confidence in public institutions dwindles, personal loyalties grow. Of the Polesotechnic League companies, neither of the two cartels, the Home Companies or the Seven In Space, will oppose a Parliamentary bill to put the pensions of Commonwealth citizens under the control of their trade unions. This will adversely affect independent companies like SSL, van Rijn thinks. As an employee and trade union member, I would want my elected representatives to administer the pension funds but, if I were living in the Solar Commonwealth, then I would probably be employed by an arm of government, not by an outfit like SSL.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
No, pension funds should not be controlled solely by the unions, and LEAST of all by the State. Private contributors, like Old Nick, should also have a say in managing such funds. If only to restrain the inevitable likelihood for unions to overreach and get greedy and unrealistic in their demands.
Ad astra! Sean
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