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Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=20264		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  pcernie [ Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/s ... ela-merkel

And yet the general take in our press was that she might struggle. Obama/Romney was a 'washout' too.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
Most of Germany's problems are ahead. Deutsche Bank is a problem waiting to blow.
Author:  l3v1ck [ Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
She's been a driving force behind bailouts of minor states. I wonder would have happened to Greece's next bail out etc if she'd lost.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
l3v1ck wrote:
She's been a driving force behind bailouts of minor states. I wonder would have happened to Greece's next bail out etc if she'd lost.

Some greeks are saying the bailouts are not really that helpful. They want to default on all the debts as they will then be able to grow. Even now while they may be close to a primary fiscal balance that does not include all the interest on all the new debt that they had to take to bail out their banks.
Author:  l3v1ck [ Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
I don't blame them. If I was Greek, I'd want to default on them too. Sure, noone would lend to the government again, but that would just mean governments would have to learn to balance teh books. That can't be a bad thing.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
l3v1ck wrote:
I don't blame them. If I was Greek, I'd want to default on them too. Sure, noone would lend to the government again, but that would just mean governments would have to learn to balance teh books. That can't be a bad thing.

They are at that point now. Without the interest payments they are running a small surplus.
Author:  big_D [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 4:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
Looks like the CDU will be partnering up with the SPD. Merkel has already called Pier Steinbrook to talk about setting up a possible coalition.
Author:  ShockWaffle [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
So Germany will have a national minimum wage soon then.
Author:  big_D [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 6:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
ShockWaffle wrote:
So Germany will have a national minimum wage soon then.

It has had a minimum wage for the best part of a decade, although certain industries managed to get exemptions, but the exemptions are being revoked on a regular basis.
Author:  ShockWaffle [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 7:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
Really?

Quote:
Germany is one of the few European countries to lack a statutory minimum wage. Unions and employers negotiate wages sector by sector. In ten sectors agreed minimums apply to all. But jobs are growing in fragmented services not in manufacturing. Just over half of workers in western Germany are now covered by central agreements; in the east it is only a third.

...

By embracing a minimum wage Mrs Merkel may deprive the opposition of a vote-winner in the next election, due in September 2013.

http://www.economist.com/node/21536648
Author:  Spreadie [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 10:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
ShockWaffle wrote:
Really?

Quote:
Germany is one of the few European countries to lack a statutory minimum wage. Unions and employers negotiate wages sector by sector. In ten sectors agreed minimums apply to all. But jobs are growing in fragmented services not in manufacturing. Just over half of workers in western Germany are now covered by central agreements; in the east it is only a third.

...

By embracing a minimum wage Mrs Merkel may deprive the opposition of a vote-winner in the next election, due in September 2013.

http://www.economist.com/node/21536648

Two year old article?
Author:  big_D [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 11:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
For non-qualified jobs, the minimum wage seems to be 7.50€. Most industries set their own minimum wage - this is protected under law and is usually set in discussion with the unions and the employers, but this often covers all pay grades, which means no performance related pay (i.e. if you do a much better than average job, you won't get a higher payraise ), it is based on qualification and length of time in the job and possibly age.

https://www.destatis.de/DE/ZahlenFakten ... hland.html
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
Radio 4 yesterday had various german commentators discussing the election results, and mentioned that German has a significant problem with poverty with people stuck on mini jobs and large numbers of single working mums in poverty.
Author:  ShockWaffle [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 3:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
Spreadie wrote:
Two year old article?

I don't think that's a problem when item under discussion was apparently installed a decade ago.

It's not hard to find references to the fact that the SPD (German equivalent of Labour) has been campaigning for a national minimum wage because Germany doesn't have one.
Here's one from 2008, when Germany didn't have a national minimum wage http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... 39FcUBQ41Q
And here's one from 2013 when they still don't http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/featur ... 71142.html
And speculation that Merkel has been readying up for an CDU / SPD grand coalition by softening her attitude to that policy goes back quite a long way.

It's very simple stuff, I don't understand how we're making general knowledge so controversial.
Al Jazeera wrote:
Minimum wage: Unlike most other countries in the European Union, Germany has no national minimum wage. The SPD and Greens want all workers to be paid at least 8.50 euros ($11.20) an hour, while the Left goes further, calling for 10 euros ($13.20) an hour. The CDU and FDP disagree that there should be a national minimum wage, instead favouring several minimum wages depending on workers' regions and economic sectors.
Author:  big_D [ Tue Sep 24, 2013 7:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Angela Merkel triumphs in German election
Amnesia10 wrote:
Radio 4 yesterday had various german commentators discussing the election results, and mentioned that German has a significant problem with poverty with people stuck on mini jobs and large numbers of single working mums in poverty.

A lot of people are doing up to 3 jobs here.

You can take a second job which pays up to 400€ a month without paying any tax on that income.

But 0.5 and 0.7 jobs are very common here, especially in areas traditionally filled by women. A minimum wage doesn't help much, if you are stuck in a job where you work a maximum of 20 hours a week.
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