I thought everything was going so well...

[threaded]

Anyways, is it not true that Britain now produces more cars than it did in the 1970s?

[mcquiggd]

Interesting little story tonight on Channel 4 about Estonia and its new 'e economy' - and flat 23% tax rate for everyone including businesses. Its gone high tech overnight and neighbouring countries are complaining its unfair that it has a realistic tax system.

Sigh.

[vetran]

partly

our car industry was destroyed by people such as Red Robbo.

However we did encourage inward investment during the Maggie / Major years, that is now running for the hills.

[Fungus]

Hmmm. Agree in theory but cannot help noticing that they still have a substantial French owned car industry and Citreon-Peugot is very profitable too. There must be a few things they are doing right.

Wasn't our car industry destroyed by the unions in the 70's and 80's and by the lack of investment?

[Fungus]

sorry to piss on your parade milan but unless businesses have the flexibility to fire and pick and choose their employees they wont work efficiently. Either you have flexible labour laws or (as in France) you have no jobs.

Yup.

Just to repeat what you are saying, flexibility allows companies to take risks, and expand when the going is good, without fear that come the bad times, they'll be saddled with unsackable workers. I've heard of some French companies moving to Kent to avoid the restrictive French bureacracy and regulations.

Isn't France a basket case relatively speaking?

And hasn't Japan relaxed its employment laws in the last few years and hasn't that helped the economy to pick up?

Fungus.

[xoggoth]

Hmmm. Agree in theory but cannot help noticing that they still have a substantial French owned car industry and Citreon-Peugot is very profitable too. There must be a few things they are doing right.

[DodgyAgent]

oops,


nice find fleety...

looks like our flexibility is the problem...

Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus, said: "It is inconceivable that workers in France would be laid off on this scale.

"Weak UK labour laws are allowing British workers to be sacrificed at the expense of a flexible labour market."



Milan.

sorry to piss on your parade milan but unless businesses have the flexibility to fire and pick and choose their employees they wont work efficiently. Either you have flexible labour laws or (as in France) you have no jobs.

[xoggoth]

Tesco is the great beast

[Mordac]

Margaret Hodge (and the rest of the NewLie cabinet) should be working in Tescos instead of fecking up the country.

[Lucifer Box]

Reading what happened to the ex Rover workers 1 year on is depressing stuff... now skilled men are working stacking shelves... still keeps them off the official jobless stats

Hey, they're just following the government's advice...

Margaret Hodge says former MG Rover workers could find jobs at supermarket giant Tesco. In an interview with the Wolverhampton Express & Star, Mrs Hodge referred to the proposed creation of 350 jobs at a new Tesco store in the Yardley area of the city.

Don't forget, Tesco is the UK's Microsoft. The current government tells us the creation of millions of McJobs is one of its proudest achievements. Hell, even the Tories agree:

Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, Julie Kirkbride said, "Tesco is a first class employer offering first class jobs."

[Mordac]

Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus, said: "It is inconceivable that workers in France would be laid off on this scale.

No, they'd have a riot until the govt stepped in with a fat wad of state aid.

[milanbenes]

oops,


nice find fleety...

looks like our flexibility is the problem...

Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus, said: "It is inconceivable that workers in France would be laid off on this scale.

"Weak UK labour laws are allowing British workers to be sacrificed at the expense of a flexible labour market."



Milan.

[Gold Dalek]

... but apparently it isn't

Reading what happened to the ex Rover workers 1 year on is depressing stuff... now skilled men are working stacking shelves... still keeps them off the official jobless stats

[wendigo100]

Oh dear (tm)

"Peugeot is to close its plant at Ryton near Coventry with the loss of 2,300 jobs, it has been announced."

[Fleetwood]

... but apparently it isn't