Meant to cover this yesterday, I refer to BBC coverage of the latest European diktat bestowing additional rights and benefits on Agency workers. This has been presented by the BBC as a further instance of Euro benevolence and anyone arguing against it is treated as if they are the enemies if the enlightenment. It seems to have escaped the attention of BBC editors that legislation which puts extra pressure and cost on business in a recession will only lead to jobs being lost. On Today the other morning there was a harpy from the Trade Unions on bleating that this did not really go far enough but at least it was a step in the right direction. When the market adjusts for this imposition, and fewer agency workers are employed, the BBC will then bleat about the awful unemployment. This is how the BBC operates its pro-EU policy; it cheer-leads for the legislation from Brussels and then attacks the Government when the inevitable chaos ensues.
THE WORKERS UNITED WILL NEVER BE..EMPLOYED
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You can see the same (absence of) thinking when they report youth unemployment. It never crosses their minds that this might have a teensy bit to do with the minimum wage pricing kids out of the market.
Yes, th Minimum wage has been a huge success with youth umemployment so…erm…high. Still, i see it is being increased.
It is also the end of the default retirement age.
If I may be permitted to offer my version of some of the unintended consequences of this.
Rather than wait until “Fred” reaches 65 in a year or two and leaves “Fred” will be made redundant some time before that to make sure he cannot stay on.
Late 50s and early 60s people on the jobs market will find it even more difficult to get a job, particularly if unemployed for a while such that they are unlikely to be able to “afford” to retire at 65 and may well want to keep “their” job.
Any sensible government will make National Insurance payable on all earnings, stopping at 65 now being patently discriminatory against those under 65.
Perhaps less likely but possible is not to pay out the state retirement pension until the person “retires”.
I still wait to discover whether redundancy payment rights will continue after 65 and also suspect there will be examples of virtually blackmail of employers to get “Fred” to go without going through the rather ludicrous capability test. Lots of “employment law” solicitors will be rubbing their hands, and expect we will be seeing adverts along the lines of “Been told you are past it? – Phone us”
Will over 65s also qualify for unemployment pay as well as getting their pension?
Another piece of “well intentioned” legislation which will create more problems than it will solve.
My company has / does employ over 65s but until now it has been by agreement between the boss and employer.
One final point – whose job is it anyway – the employer’s or the employee’s. The law seems to believe it is the employee’s nowadays.
Rant over.
Minimum wage temps to get full employment rights after 12 weeks on the job. Pity the poor temps, because they will routinely be laid off from now on after 11 weeks 6 days, no matter how hard they work, or how good they are at the job. This will be soul destroying for a group already at the bottom of the employment pool.
However will multi millionaires and billionaires cope with a smaller bonus because of this legislation
On Newsnight last night, I thought poor Emily Maitlis was really trying to understand the Newcastle venture capitalist…she really was trying!
But in the end two worlds collided…private talent versus public sector slug…male female, north south, blonde ginger…and poor Emily (who has never made a penny for herself unless the taxpayer was milked previously) just was incapable of thinking that the State might not actually help the likes of Jeremy Middleton to create his wealth.
At least though she DID try…so hats off to her.
Sadly her helpmeet sent in to oppose the grasping predatory breadhead made no effort to grasp the concepts…more rules, more Brussels and more tax and spend from that nice Miliband boy!
It being Friday night, the Newsnight meme declared Foxy Knoxy to be the victim of Berlusconis sexist pasta munchers out there in Italy…sexist maan!…wasn`t it ever thus?…watch for those Vespas girls and hold those handbags to your rears in Rome…think that`s what the BBC would say…if ,of course, they had any opinions!
A non-BBC view on E.U:
“The EU dream has turned into a nightmare”
(Christopher Booker)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/8801261/The-EU-dream-has-turned-into-a-nightmare.html
Brilliant as usual, George. Also as an aside Booker has.
“It reminds me of when my late colleague Paul Foot, a keen fan of the Bolshevik revolution, once claimed in print that 1917 was “the most important date in history”. I asked him: “1917 years after what?” ”
😀
When the kids are united eh?
Who will ever forget Blair coming on stage to the Labour conference to the strains of that authentic voice of the working class Mr James Pursey?
Labour were more Sham 666 than 69, but let that pass.
My only comment is that Blair ought to be whistling that tune with some satisfaction, given how “united” the rioters were…certainly the BBC “rejoiced in that perception”…as does Shami, Narey and all the other stools and tools of Roy and Shirl!