A plethora of Siberian Goose Down Duvets to come?

An article in the Evening Standard the other evening on the way home said that bankers in the City would sue their firms if they were denied their bonuses. A gentle reminder of the definition of a bonus, (in case the pound signs have clouded logical thinking) is: “an extra payment in addition to wages; something extra”. Fundamentally that money isn’t theirs. It’s an extra to their salary. It’s a reward for good work. It’s galling that when people are having salaries frozen, redundancies inflicted and salary cuts imposed, there are some still so greedy that they want their bonus on top of their salary. Where exactly are these banks who are literally being crippled in the credit crunch and are being nationalised, meant to get this money? The taxpayer…that’s you and me. Lining their Saville Row suit pockets.

I am not bitter. I agree with the principle of bonuses. There are thousands of people who go above and beyond what is required of their job and for that, they should be rewarded. However, when the situation goes tits up, I expect some level of common sense to ensue. Everyone is having to make cutbacks at the moment so why exactly shouldn’t the people that are the cause of so much strife.

By suing the firm that pays their salary, they are further financially crippling it. Fundamentally, it boils down to greed and that, is the route of all evil. To sue for more money in the wake of one of the largest financial disasters is pure unadulterated greed.

I wonder how these people sleep at night. Probably under their Siberian Goose down duvets. But for how much longer? Surely the atmosphere in the City will become distinctly chillier.