Our senators have distinguished themselves once again. About a week ago they adopted a resolution by a large majority in response to recommendations from the Council of the EU on the matter of discrimination against Romani people.
The document merely described such discrimination without drawing attention to the Czech Republic or singling it out in any way. Despite this, the senators angrily rejected the notion that Romani people are discriminated against here at all, saying that even if such a thing might have been recorded at some point, Romani people are to blame themselves, because they don’t attend school and don’t work.
A basta fidli, it is decided once and for all! The initiator of this sad, stupid resolution was Czech Senator Zeman, who is also the mayor of Albrechtice and the owner of a toy factory.
He was effectively seconded by former Czech MP Řápková, who now works only as his adviser. Together they have invented and are promoting in the Senate yet another law, making no secret of the fact that it is targeted against Romani people.
Zeman introduced the bill with the following words: "We must teach the gypsy community to work! Limiting welfare is one way to do that."
That is really a statement worthy of the mentality of someone who thinks like a Fascist! Dear senators, wise fathers of ours, the problem is not that Romani people don’t want to work or don’t know how to work.
The problem is that no one will hire them despite all their attempts to find employment, which are in vain. If there were efforts underway leading to the creation of job opportunities, then I might appreciate your contribution as a practical step toward improving the situation, instead of what you are giving us: Stupid, untrue resolutions that resolve nothing.
I myself have been an entrepreneur in the construction industry and I have employed Romani people who were barely employable. In my experience, Romani labor is the same as all other labor: 40 % of them want to work, 30 % will work if they get a decent opportunity, and 30 % will never work – but that applies more or less to this entire society.
When I go to my office every day, passing through the "Bronx" neighborhood of Brno, my employees and others call out to me: Mr Holomek, do you have any jobs? Unfortunately, I do not.
