I back this strike !!

[expat]

Some do, some don’t. Same everywhere.

What I certainly don’t like to see is unions protesting against foreign workers. It looks to me like the odious combination of nationalism and socialism.

No, indeed. But it might be reasonable to ask an employer to account for bringing in foreign workers when there local would-be workers available.

[Mich the Tester]

No, indeed. But it might be reasonable to ask an employer to account for bringing in foreign workers when there local would-be workers available.

Perhaps reasonable, but is it practical? You know how governments work; would you like to see a new quango set up with public funds to go checking on the nationality of of all business’ employees? How about a form-filling process whereby employers are required to send paperwork to the government detailing all the reasons for hiring Gianni instead of John? How do you wish to define a ‘foreign worker’? How about an Italian who’s lived in Britain legally for a long time and simply wants to change job?

Perhaps they should just break the contract and pay a huge compensation package to the business that won it?

[ratewhore]

These people, coming over here taking our jobs, living off our taxes and clogging up our health service; it should be banned! They should bring back national service; that’ll restore some pride in this country! In my day we used to call Italians ‘slimey eyeties’ and we were right you know, those eyeties come slithering in and steal our jobs from under our noses!

I thought that was a real quote - doh!!

[ratewhore]

It's not often I agree with Derek Simpson but:

The only role that we have is to pay the electric bills from the power stations that they build.

I suspect that, whatever the international institutions say, we WILL be seeing a lot more protectionism over the next few years...

[Mich the Tester]

I suspect that, whatever the international institutions say, we WILL be seeing a lot more protectionism over the next few years...

Stupidest thing anyone can do. Protectionism is what turned the crash of 1929 into the depression, and we all know how that ended when nationalists and socialists started luvvying up to one another.

Might be time to leave Europe altogether.

[ratewhore]

Stupidest thing anyone can do. Protectionism is what turned the crash of 1929 into the depression, and we all know how that ended when nationalists and socialists started luvvying up to one another.

Might be time to leave Europe altogether.

You might well be right, but the 'green shoots' seem to be appearing...

[PM-Junkie]

You might well be right, but the 'green shoots' seem to be appearing...

No, he is right. Protectionism is a sure fire way to make the situation infinitely worse - anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that.

Unfortunately most politicians do not appear to fall into that category these days.

[Mich the Tester]

You might well be right, but the 'green shoots' seem to be appearing...

Green shoots won’t be visible for a while yet, but there will before long be strong economic growth in countries which have a workforce with strong scientific and technical skills. The need to reduce energy dependency on the likes of Putin, Hugo Chav and Saudi Wahabirabia is pretty clear to anyone in Europe. Some Europeans came within a hair’s breadth of freezing to death a couple of weeks ago thanks to Mr Putin, and governments are now pretty convinced that they need a massive expansion in renewable energy capacity.

Sod the greenhouse argument; national and regional security now dictates that we move to technology for saving energy and making renewable energy. Problem for Britain is that Media Studies graduates aren’t much use at building wind farms, solar generators or biofuel and hydrogen plants. I suppose the ‘Golf Course Management’ graduates will be able to keep the greens maintained for German, Dutch and Japanese engineering bosses though.

[ratewhore]

Green shoots won’t be visible for a while yet...

I'm talking about green shoots like these, and these, and these.

[DimPrawn]

What is this Italian, British, Polish, French nonesense?

WE ARE ALL EU BROTHERS TOGETHER.