Just got stopped

[Churchill]

sorry expat but the guy stepped in front of me, blocking my way. I didnt want to get in a conversation with him.

I find the expression "Out of my way peasant!" quite useful for those situations.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Back in November there was a national strike in Belgium over changes to the pension age, as I do not have a pension scheme in Belgium, nor any country for that matter, it didnt concern me.

However walking on the way to work on that foggy morning,about 100 yards from the main entrance to my work from the fog emerged a picket line with about 50 men or so.

I had a arranged a lift to work with my colleage from Hamburg as there wasnt a bus service.

He was furious about this as like myself was not a union member and if we didnt show up for work we would not get paid.

Being quite a big chap he tried to barge his way past the picket line, however a couple of the guys on the picket line grabbed him , a Belgian policeman looked passively on.

I intervened as I suspected that any second now fists would fly and we were hopelessly outnumbered, grabbed his arm to prise him from the union men and said to my colleauge to cool it , we would find another way.

Under cover of the fog we went on a cirular route and hopped over a fence and byppassed the picket line and made it to work.

I think this proves the Tao idea of not meeting brute force head on.

[expat]

sorry expat but the guy stepped in front of me, blocking my way. I didnt want to get in a conversation with him.

In that case I agree with you.

[darmstadt]

When I worked at the Commerzbank in Frankfurt they used to have a strike every year and all the IT staff would be on the picket line. However being a bank the online systems had to be running 24/7 so us contractors (all 2 of us) could continue working. The only stipulation was that we went to and from lunch via a different entrance so the normal picketeers couldn't see us.

Strangely enough I'm still a member of the IG Metall Gewerkschaft!

Anough goodie working in Germany was that if I worked for a company that was based in Bayern but I was working in Hessen and there was a holiday in Bayern but not in Hessen I would get extra pay.

[EternalOptimist]

must be weird living/working in a place that has different holidays in different cities/regions

[stackpole]

must be weird living/working in a place that has different holidays in different cities/regions

Yes. For example, aren't they on holiday all the time in Liverpool?

[Mordac]

Yeps, beccy, I do have an enormous T-Shirt collection.

You mean "a collection of enormous T-shirts" you old salad-dodger you.

[expat]

must be weird living/working in a place that has different holidays in different cities/regions

You mean like Scotland and England??

[Board Game Geek]

He was holding a placard saying 'stop the cuts'

It's at times like that, we all wished we carried a permanent market pen.

[Alf W]

I remember a situation in the early 90's when IT staff went on strike at a major Blue Chip site and Management had to call one guy in off the picket line because we had a live problem. He came in, fixed it and went back out!

Power to the People.