r32

Well unemployment has hit the 5 million mark in Germany. The highest number since 1933. It was the high unemployment then that saw the rise of a certain Herr Hitler who promised to sort it all out. And sort it all out he did!
Problem is that although the German Government are taking steps to reduce this huge number, with their hands tied on the traditional methods of interest rate and currency adjustments its not working.
In fact changes forced on them by the EU on welfare is contributing to the problem by making it not all that worthwhile to go to work!

So remember what can happen to a strong and poweful nation like Germany when President Blair lets us have a vote on the EU constitution and the single currency. If we ever get a vote that is. He promised to keep control of the UK borders and immigration and he secretly signed those over......

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Hmmmmmm, I might be more worried about this if it weren't for one or two points:

1. The problems in Germany are DIRECTLY caused by having rejoined the old East Germany, a third world country where 45 years or so of communism and lack of investment had all but brought the place to it's knees. It will take them a long long time to bring it up to their standards, even WITH Europe behind them.
What should they do, drop out of Europe and pay for it all themselves? Now THERE's a route to the next war!

2. 5 Million out of a total population of 82.5 Million, or roughly 6%.
Would you care to speculate as to what % of the UK population of 59.5 Million is unemployed................TRUTHFULLY , not according to Government staistics, which still refuse to count "Thatcher's Missing Millions", the people who can no longer be counted due to the Conservatives having altered the method for counting the unemployed no less than 4 times in the first 4 years of Thatcher's rule.
And, of course, Labour haven't changed it back, so they're still missing!

I don't think we need worry too much about Herr Hitler coming back to take over Germany just yet. We'd do better worrying about ANOTHER 5 years of Billy Liar and the Cronies!

Alcazar

Bottomfeeder

And don't forget that here in the UK unempolyment is rilly rilly low.............












Something to do with the way it's fiddled, I mean calculated I beleive.

De Warrenne

Hold on a minute - 1 million 'unemployed' in the UK, another 3 million on 'incapacity' benefit since the '80's in an attempt to massage the figures, which no successive Government has seen fit to change = 4 Million 'out of work', which in a country with a lower population than Germany actually puts us right up there.

Not dissing, in any way, people who genuinely can't work, but am angry that successive Governments have chosen to 'hide' people with irrelevent or few skills, in order to please the World Bank, IMF etc.

OllyK

There was a nice graph on the news last night showing that the numbers claiming incapacity had risen at about the same rate as unemployment had fallen. Funny that.

Chris L

Same sh*t different government. Back in the days of nationalised industries, they were used to 'hide' unemployment in a similar way. My godfather spent many years working for British Steel as their sales director. He reckoned they employed 4 people for every job. That's the reason why British Steel made so many redundant when it was taken private. Nowadays, the government uses disability allowance to do basically the same thing. Ultimately, we still end up paying for it.

jjones

all as bad as each other.

unclebuck

Not to mention the half a million unnecessary public sector jobs they have created since coming to power.

SJ_Skyline

I'm not worried about another Herr Hitler. It's the permanently tanned, Herr Kilroy that scares the **** out of me!

Interesting story on German employment....

r32

One of the points I wanted to make is that well tried and tested ways of perking up an economy are no longer open to members of the EU .....

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Damn..............so we can't invade Poland then?

Alcazar

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Interesting story on German employment....



Alcazar

hedgehog

I think that there are a lot of valid points here. Fundamentally we are, for the most part, well off at present but it may be a house built on sand.

We are all so well off that we are not willing to fight against the current erosion of our rights and I'm talking about rights which have been in British law for many hundreds of years such as the right to silence or the right not to incriminate yourself or the right that only a court (and not some thug with a baseball bat) can legally impose a fine upon you.

So, we are going to have our rights eroded and we are going to have satellite tracking on our cars and RFID cards in out pockets all of which can determine where we are and what we do.

Many people will say that they do nothing illegal and so such tracking measures will not worry them. I bet many Jews said something similar in 1933 and who is to know exactly what personality trait might offend any dictator who might be voted into power by a disaffected British pubilc?

With this in mind I do believe that it is important for everyone in society for fight to retain the laws that protect their rights to justice and a fair trial and also that we must all fight the control systems that are currently being put in place. Believe me, systems to control you are never put in place for your benefit or to make you a happy person.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

I live and work in Germany and get about 50% of my salary deducted at source for various taxes and insurances, including

Income tax
Health insurance
Reunification Tax to pay for East Germany
Retirement insurance
Insurance in case I need to go into an old peoples home and need a nurse.
Insurance incas I lose my job

and if I get a bonus at all I get taxed on all my salary if it was that much and not just the bonus or overtime.

Germany does not have enough people of working age which is why there are so many unemployed.

Due to their stupid education system most people are still in school until around 25 and only then can start work. Then there are all the people that are to old to work.

And th elast catgoriy is people that are on the dole etc or are redundant, then the government pays you 80% of your last salery and will continue this for 2 years, you need to be activelly looking for work but if you don't get it they continue to pay you the 80%.

And one last thing they have just increased the insurance for the nursing home thing for Single people with no kids.

we need to have private medical insurance as there is no NHS here and that itself is a rip off and is mega expensive due to the serious abuse it gets, if you go to a doctor and say you have stress he will sign you off for 2 weeks and send you to a health farm, paid for by your medical insurance. Sounds good doesn't it, except that in order to do these jollies which the germans do once a year or so the cost of insurance is mega, which makes it a pain in the **** for us single healthy people.

unclebuck

Unless you are called 'Tiggs' of course.

SJ_Skyline