Darkstone Code
Chapter 216 - 0214 The outcome is revealed, who lost?

Chapter 216: 0214 The outcome is revealed, who lost?

Early in the initial stages of the general strike, the Mayor used the social instability caused by the strike as a reason, supplemented by the impact on exchange centers, to directly halt the distribution of food vouchers and the exchange of food vouchers.

As for when this program would be restarted, City Hall gave no clear answer.

When the general strike broke out, people did not consider these issues. In the mid to late stages, some of them looted supermarkets, and some people obtained a lot of supplies, so this issue was not particularly severe.

And here, one cannot help but mention the role of the Workers’ Union, which to some extent, helped solve a portion of the food shortage for workers. Some workers who did not participate in the looting turned to the Union, which recovered food vouchers from them through exchange, allowing these people to at least make do with partial meals and not go too hungry.

These food vouchers now, are a new kind of money, a currency not officially recognized but possessing all elements of a circulating currency, a new coin. So the Union wasn’t doing a great charity; they could even profit from this.

Moreover, Mark’s own company was also collecting food vouchers, which kept the whole city in a bizarre basic balance where people could barely get by, but not for much longer.

Several days ago, when people were extremely hungry, they could still take to the streets to loot and burn. Looking at Sabin City, among all the shops that were burned or looted, not a single large store or supermarket was spared (Liao), especially supermarkets, which were thoroughly ransacked, leaving no food, thus allowing some people to obtain some food.

Now the situation is different. With the military entering the city, any illegal act is immediately and severely punished, and people do not dare take risks anymore.

Just the gunfire that rang throughout the city this morning was enough to instill fear, causing people really to begin fearing going out. Once hiding at home, they had to face a problem—how to fill their stomachs.

This is also a demand presented by the Workers’ Union after being entrusted at this meeting: resume the issuance and exchange of food vouchers as soon as possible, otherwise, people will struggle to hold on!

After listening to the Workers’ Union envoy’s demands, the Mayor took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his glasses.

He wasn’t young. Actually, he didn’t want to wear glasses in such a serious occasion, but time waits for no one, and without glasses, it was hard for him to see some documents clearly.

In fact, he wasn’t very old. For a politician, he was in his prime.

Having seen enough of the documents, he didn’t intend to continue wearing the glasses, naturally wiping them with the handkerchief and putting them away.

While wiping nonexistent grease and grime from the lenses, he said without looking up, "Originally, the distribution and exchange of food vouchers were very stable, but because of the strike, related companies were also hit, so before the strike is completely resolved, we will not consider reopening the distribution and exchange of food vouchers."

He said, placing the glasses back into the case, and looked up at the Union’s envoy, "When this negotiation is resolved, bringing everything back on track, we will then discuss the issue of food vouchers and food exchange."

A seemingly insignificant small problem suddenly gripped the Union envoy and those behind him, each showing expressions of either contemplation or anger.

At this moment, Ferrari next to the Mayor voluntarily explained the situation at some exchange centers, where food supplies were looted, food vouchers were stolen, and staff were injured as a result.

These words turned their anger instantly into smoke and dissipated. This was precisely the doing of the striking workers; now, can you blame someone else?

When Ferrari finished explaining, the Mayor had already packed all his personal belongings on the table and looked at everyone else, "Does anyone else have any questions?"

After waiting for about ten seconds, he announced the end of the second negotiation. As for whether this negotiation was successful or failed, everyone had different views.

The worker representatives and union people quickly left the scene, taking a bus back to the Workers’ Union to discuss the gains from this negotiation and where to make concessions in the next negotiation.

Lynch observed the entire negotiation process. On the way back, he already understood, the Mayor had won.

Sometimes one cannot help but admire these politicians; their wholehearted dedication to this field produces astonishing results.

Undoubtedly, after today, the striking workers will split into two factions, caused precisely by the halt in issuing and exchanging food vouchers, or in truly addressing the essence of life beneath some superficial appearances, the issue of filling one’s stomach.

No matter if the exchange centers impacted mentioned by Ferrari were truly attacked, at least the Mayor used this as a reason and basis for stopping the distribution.

The interests of the "orderly" striking group within the worker group suffered damage, leading to a rift between them and the "disorderly" striking group, growing larger until eventually wholly dividing the two groups.

Furthermore, in this strike event, newspapers continuously reported the number of shops robbed daily and the amount of value lost, which also provided an outlet for the resentment bred from cowardice in the hearts of some people.

Look, everyone is striking, some are daring and looted shops for many goods, but some were timid, envied, and hated while not daring to act.

Now City Hall gave them an excuse and reason to hate so that they have a justification to criticize those people. Based on the ugliest aspects of human nature, they will strive to stand on the moral high ground the Mayor handed to them to accuse those who ruined their former peace and freedom.

They might even think that the looting they once envied and wanted to join was the real reason for the strike’s failure, making the radical striking workers their adversaries.

Any movement, no matter how grand, once internal division begins, it indicates the movement has reached its end.

Undoubtedly, the inconspicuous food vouchers became the last straw that broke the general strike in Sabin City.

To allow everyone to fill their stomachs as soon as possible, to feed those yellow-brown-skinned children drawing water with meager strength, the pace of negotiation advanced unprecedentedly fast.

On December 9th, during the fourth labor-capital negotiation process, two weeks after the last negotiation, everything was resolved, with not much bargaining involved. Eventually, only worker wages were increased, there was at least one beef meal per week, and employers bore some medical expenses for work injuries, concluding the massive general strike.

After the end, the Mayor also promised the worker representatives and union people that from next Tuesday, food vouchers would be reissued, exchange centers would reopen, and aid would be provided to citizens in need.

The curtain fell on the general strike in Sabin City, but its influence and aftermath are far from over.

The workers’ issues were resolved; next is solving the capitalists’ problems.

In the strike, so many shops were looted and burned, so much property stolen, it cannot go without an explanation,

"This wouldn’t just end like this..." Mark raised his glass in the middle of a group of gentlemen and said these satisfying words with a very certain tone.

This reception, held for celebrating the strike’s end, was initiated by Mark. Everyone knew he was the Mayor’s nephew. In a way, his words also represented the Mayor’s stance.

This strike was a negligible small victory for the working class in the labor-capital conflict. If they thought they achieved some of what they wanted and that the capitalists would be completely defeated, that would be naive.

The merchants in the room knew better how to utilize rules to vent their frustrations and harshly spank those workers.

Yes, lawful methods that these workers would not consider looting private property to be legal, right?

Since it’s illegal, then there is illicit behavior, and as long as someone pursues it, someone must pay for their illegal actions.

Some tough individuals would be reasonably and legally eliminated, not meaning their biological death, just expelling them from factories and sending them to jail.

In usual times, such termination without any reason might lead to some adverse consequences; these people are tough, unlike ordinary workers, who despite being fired would silently endure it.

The tough ones would stir trouble, sometimes causing more losses to the capitalists more than keeping them would.

But this time, there’s no fear; they would be sent to jail, and besides, those workers’ representatives in their factories would also be labeled for termination for failing to initiate an orderly strike protest, letting some workers get out of control and causing damage to the factories.

As for the other workers?

They wouldn’t continue to stir, for their wages were raised, their benefits changed, and even the factories were willing to make some compromises on acute work injury issues; why stir further?

The worker representatives and tough individuals were sent out of the factories, and this is what the capitalists gained from this strike.

In the forthcoming period, until the next general strike is upon them, spanning possibly several years to over a decade, they can enjoy pressuring and exploiting workers within reasonable boundaries, while the workers would endure reasonable exploitation until next time when they can’t take it anymore, and someone stands up first.