How life would have been without Thatcher

[Mikeoc1962]

Better

[NotAllThere]

...
An American worker stayed on as long as it took to finish the job, and then left at 12 o'clock at night to impress the boss...

FTFY

[Doggy Styles]

On the whole people in the UK are more relaxed and people f*** around a lot more and then end up staying late to get the work done.

Nowadays yes, I agree. I thought MTT was going back to the old days, when it was a bit different. Then they'd clock out and feck off.

[BlasterBates]

On the whole people in the UK are more relaxed and people f*** around a lot more and then end up staying late to get the work done.

[Doggy Styles]

A British worker in the 70s went home at 5 o'clock without finishing the job.
An American worker stayed on as long as it took to finish the job, which might be 12 o'clock at night.
A German worker finished the job at 4:59pm, took one minute to put on his coat and wish his colleagues a good evening and then went home.

I've worked in Germany and with US staff in US companies in the UK. In my very small sample size, that was eerily accurate.

[Mich the Tester]

Well with that excellent scientific evidence I can't argue, where is this paper published that observed the working habits of one worker from each country for one day and extrapolated from it?

I didn't pretend it's scientific.

[proggy]

A British worker in the 70s went home at 5 o'clock without finishing the job.
An American worker stayed on as long as it took to finish the job, which might be 12 o'clock at night.
A German worker finished the job at 4:59pm, took one minute to put on his coat and wish his colleagues a good evening and then went home.

Well with that excellent scientific evidence I can't argue, where is this paper published that observed the working habits of one worker from each country for one day and extrapolated from it?

[DodgyAgent]

We would have been more like Germany, much more successful, better industry and manufacturing.

explain please

[Mich the Tester]

We would have been more like Germany, much more successful, better industry and manufacturing.

Not necessarily. German culture is very suited to industry and manufacturing. Rhineland management practises are deeply rooted in German philosophy, notably that of Max Weber, an the work ethic is different; it isn't about how hard you work or how many hours you put in, but the precision of your work. Britain has a very different history and people are often more individualist. Sure, lessons can be learned from German success, but it wouldn't necessarily be the same.

A British worker in the 70s went home at 5 o'clock without finishing the job.
An American worker stayed on as long as it took to finish the job, which might be 12 o'clock at night.
A German worker finished the job at 4:59pm, took one minute to put on his coat and wish his colleagues a good evening and then went home.

[proggy]

From the Guardian

Britain without Margaret Thatcher | Philip Hensher | Politics | The Guardian

No thanks

We would have been more like Germany, much more successful, better industry and manufacturing.

[BlasterBates]

No way Michael Foot would have won.

In the end there wouldn´t be a lot different.

You look across Europe it´s hard to distinguish Britain from the rest of Europe. Only Greece has higher budget deficit than the UK, their (in Europe) steel factories and mines have also closed.

What people don´t realise is that most job losses in heavy industry in the 80´s were down to automation. Where you would have 30 or 40 people you could get by with a handful. British companies employed armies in the drawing office still using paper and pens, everywhere else it was computerised.

In the end it would have changed because they would have had no choice.

You look at social security and taxes across Europe all pretty much of a muchness.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Interesting EU aspect to it. Instead of Thatcher signing some of the most federalist legislation in the history of the UK (and then claiming she was was tricked - strong leader, tricked?) we'd have been out of the EU by now - I wonder how many UKIP loons realise they're recreating 80's Labour policy.

[DodgyAgent]

She was too dogmatic on a lot of things. I don't think denationalisation of the CEGB did us any favours.

Unless its sale had been restricted to UK ownership, but then the price would have been much lower.
It is a challenge that subsequent governments should have tried to deal with.

[xoggoth]

She was too dogmatic on a lot of things. I don't think denationalisation of the CEGB did us any favours.

[DodgyAgent]

From the Guardian

Britain without Margaret Thatcher | Philip Hensher | Politics | The Guardian

No thanks