After months of unfruitful negotiation with the trade unions, the government cut the Gordian knot by declaring that workers who did not accept a 2% pay rise would be fired.

• （政府和工会谈判了几个月都没有结果，最后断然公布，凡是不接受百分之二加薪幅度的工人，都会炒鱿鱼。）