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Nyland Daily News
Anti-union protests sweep Videjszeme
By B. Russell Sprout
Published: 1 Septem, 1581
![[Image: Rx6B9WQ.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/Rx6B9WQ.jpg)
Protests in Nereta, Videjszeme.
NERETA, VIDEJSZEME - The air in downtown Nereta, the capital of Videjszeme, was filled with protestor's chants as a large group assembled outside the capital building, waving picket signs and shouting slogans of "Valisfold prosperity makes Seļi slavery," "Videjszeme for Videjszeme," and "Unions are partnerships, not occupations."
The protests have been organized by several national and local labor groups under the coordination and encouragement of the Nacionaalaa Apvieniiba, or "National Alliance," a right-leaning nationalist party that saw a large upswell of support in recent years and that currently heads the government's opposition. The protestors' greivances are many and varied, but they boil down to one singular message: the government's policies of integration and union with Valisfoldek is favoring large companies and foreign workers to the detriment of large swathes of the country's natve citizens.
With the exception of a brief period from 1573 to 1574, the Party for Progress has firmly held governmental power in Videjszeme for nearly two decades, promising to turn the largely agrarian country - one of Brigidna's poorest per-capita demographics - into a strong modern economy. They seem to have at least kept that promise over the years as the country's economy and GDP soared, doubling from $192 Billion in 1556 to just under $400 Billion in 1580, thanks to explosive growth in the country's new and booming technology and service industries.
"The common man has seen no benefit from any of this, though," commented Ivars Diimanis, a National Alliance parliamentarian who was one of many leading the rally and agreed to speak with us. According to him, the massive boom in wealth has remained stratified in the new rich businesses and their owners; furthermore, the vast majority of these companies come from outside the country's borders, from places such as Angiris or Nyland, with a very small fraction of the new industry being created and incorporated in Videjszeme.
To make matters worse, most of these new jobs have been filled by foreign-educated, foreign-born workers from poorer nations, lured to the country by higher wages driven by high worker demand and a much lower cost of living compared to its neighbors. While these foreign workers come from anywhere, more than two-thirds originate from Valisfoldek, with whom Videjszeme's union guarantees free movement of people and goods, and whose people have drawn a disproportionate amount of ire.
Prior to the recent tech boom, 20% of Videjszeme's 14 million people identified as ethnically Valisfolk - half of whom spoke Seļi as their second language - with nearly all of them living in the border cities of Akniiste & Illuukste. A decade later, that number has swelled to nearly 31% of the country, many of whom now are highly educated, very well paid, and speak little if any Seļi.
All these resulting factors have caused a massive shift in the country's demographics. The influx of people has strained a housing market that's struggled to cope, causing spikes in rents and housing prices in the cities, driving away their former, most often "native" tenants. Inflation has risen with the new increased supply of money and demand of goods, even with central authorities implementing measures to contain it. Commented Ivars, "The Party for Progress talks of growing the economy and modernizing our country and bringing in new wealth, but whose wealth? Certainly not ours, and the more 'wealth' their policies bring, the poorer our people become. If you're not a foreigner in a big city, then you're a second-class citizen, and in your own country, no less."
For their part, the Party of Progress has used the new tax revenues to sponsor a renewal of infrastructure and welfare, and a party spokesman has stated that a new technology-focused, reformed education system is being considered, but Ivars and today's protesters have considered it too little concessions for so large a problem. "They can't buy me off with handouts. The people don't want pity, they want to live and work where they please, to not be forced into poor communities from homes they can no longer afford because they had to make a choice between food or rent. They no longer want to be slaves to foreigners on their own soil, under the guise of 'economic progress,' that our so-called 'union' encourages."
Anti-union protests sweep Videjszeme
By B. Russell Sprout
Published: 1 Septem, 1581
Protests in Nereta, Videjszeme.
NERETA, VIDEJSZEME - The air in downtown Nereta, the capital of Videjszeme, was filled with protestor's chants as a large group assembled outside the capital building, waving picket signs and shouting slogans of "Valisfold prosperity makes Seļi slavery," "Videjszeme for Videjszeme," and "Unions are partnerships, not occupations."
The protests have been organized by several national and local labor groups under the coordination and encouragement of the Nacionaalaa Apvieniiba, or "National Alliance," a right-leaning nationalist party that saw a large upswell of support in recent years and that currently heads the government's opposition. The protestors' greivances are many and varied, but they boil down to one singular message: the government's policies of integration and union with Valisfoldek is favoring large companies and foreign workers to the detriment of large swathes of the country's natve citizens.
With the exception of a brief period from 1573 to 1574, the Party for Progress has firmly held governmental power in Videjszeme for nearly two decades, promising to turn the largely agrarian country - one of Brigidna's poorest per-capita demographics - into a strong modern economy. They seem to have at least kept that promise over the years as the country's economy and GDP soared, doubling from $192 Billion in 1556 to just under $400 Billion in 1580, thanks to explosive growth in the country's new and booming technology and service industries.
"The common man has seen no benefit from any of this, though," commented Ivars Diimanis, a National Alliance parliamentarian who was one of many leading the rally and agreed to speak with us. According to him, the massive boom in wealth has remained stratified in the new rich businesses and their owners; furthermore, the vast majority of these companies come from outside the country's borders, from places such as Angiris or Nyland, with a very small fraction of the new industry being created and incorporated in Videjszeme.
To make matters worse, most of these new jobs have been filled by foreign-educated, foreign-born workers from poorer nations, lured to the country by higher wages driven by high worker demand and a much lower cost of living compared to its neighbors. While these foreign workers come from anywhere, more than two-thirds originate from Valisfoldek, with whom Videjszeme's union guarantees free movement of people and goods, and whose people have drawn a disproportionate amount of ire.
Prior to the recent tech boom, 20% of Videjszeme's 14 million people identified as ethnically Valisfolk - half of whom spoke Seļi as their second language - with nearly all of them living in the border cities of Akniiste & Illuukste. A decade later, that number has swelled to nearly 31% of the country, many of whom now are highly educated, very well paid, and speak little if any Seļi.
All these resulting factors have caused a massive shift in the country's demographics. The influx of people has strained a housing market that's struggled to cope, causing spikes in rents and housing prices in the cities, driving away their former, most often "native" tenants. Inflation has risen with the new increased supply of money and demand of goods, even with central authorities implementing measures to contain it. Commented Ivars, "The Party for Progress talks of growing the economy and modernizing our country and bringing in new wealth, but whose wealth? Certainly not ours, and the more 'wealth' their policies bring, the poorer our people become. If you're not a foreigner in a big city, then you're a second-class citizen, and in your own country, no less."
For their part, the Party of Progress has used the new tax revenues to sponsor a renewal of infrastructure and welfare, and a party spokesman has stated that a new technology-focused, reformed education system is being considered, but Ivars and today's protesters have considered it too little concessions for so large a problem. "They can't buy me off with handouts. The people don't want pity, they want to live and work where they please, to not be forced into poor communities from homes they can no longer afford because they had to make a choice between food or rent. They no longer want to be slaves to foreigners on their own soil, under the guise of 'economic progress,' that our so-called 'union' encourages."