# Good News?????



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Mods might want to put this thread together with the one with the videos about employment. I'll leave it up to you.

Nissan has decided that their new pick up truck will be made in Barcelona!

BUT

*The more than 3.000 employees accepted that their salaries would be frozen in 2012 (2011, I don't know?) There will be a 0,5% rise in 2013 and a 1,5% in 2014,year in which the workers will also receive a payment of around 350€ in compensation

Productivity will increase by 6% and there will at least 12 obligatory Saturdays of work

*These, and other measures will guarantee that the factory stays open another 10 years.

Are the concessions worth keeping your job?
On the face of it, it looks like yes to me, but there's not much info at the moment. Look out for the story tomorrow.

Article here in Spanish
Interstitial - Noticia


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Article in English
New Nissan 'pick up' to be produced in Barcelona | Catalan News Agency


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

This is standard practice - multinational corporations will relocate to wherever labour is cheap and plentiful, worsening people´s working conditions and salaries. Nobody objects because they are "grateful" to have a job (as if the employer is doing them a favour). Once the economy picks up again and workers can choose to work somewhere else for better pay, the company will up sticks and relocate somewhere else (Morocco or Tunisia probably).

People object to public sector spending on job creation because of its high cost and short term nature, but giving huge financial incentives to multinationals is no better. They have no loyalty to Spain or her workforce, they are just looking to increase profits.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> This is standard practice - multinational corporations will relocate to wherever labour is cheap and plentiful, worsening people´s working conditions and salaries. Nobody objects because they are "grateful" to have a job (as if the employer is doing them a favour). Once the economy picks up again and workers can choose to work somewhere else for better pay, the company will up sticks and relocate somewhere else (Morocco or Tunisia probably).
> 
> 
> People object to public sector spending on job creation because of its high cost and short term nature, but giving huge financial incentives to multinationals is no better. They have no loyalty to Spain or her workforce, they are just looking to increase profits.


Yes, I think we all know it's nothing new. I didn't think you could write Loyalty and Multinational in the same sentence, but look, there it is! But should the Nissan workers be "pleased" with this offer in as much as they retain their job and for another few years.
As I said, *I think* if I were in their position, and in today's climate, I would be relieved to know I had a job that was going to last into the future. However, I wouldn't believe anything about 10 years or even 5 years, and I bet the worsening conditions are still negotiable from Nissan's point of view.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Thanks for -at last - posting the Sticky.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Thanks for -at last - posting the Sticky.


we just had to decide on the best way to deal with it, so that the 'evidence' wouldn't get drowned in 'disagreements'



just send us appropriate links & we'll add them


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, I think we all know it's nothing new. I didn't think you could write Loyalty and Multinational in the same sentence, but look, there it is! But should the Nissan workers be "pleased" with this offer in as much as they retain their job and for another few years.
> As I said, *I think* if I were in their position, and in today's climate, I would be relieved to know I had a job that was going to last into the future. However, I wouldn't believe anything about 10 years or even 5 years, and I bet the worsening conditions are still negotiable from Nissan's point of view.


Yes, the unions have come to the conclusion that bread with no jam today is better than possibly no bread at all tomorrow. You can't really blame them.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> Yes, the unions have come to the conclusion that bread with no jam today is better than possibly no bread at all tomorrow. You can't really blame them.


I think it's called realism. Or you could look at it in Marxist terms....he did write that one should see the world as it is and not as you would like it to be.
No-one with any intelligence would describe the system under which most humans have lived for centuries -possibly since recorded history began - as ideal. It is based on greed and selfishness.
But it won't be replaced in our lifetimes and the alternatives have proved far worse in terms of human suffering and have not succeeded in raising people's living standards.
So the Unions are acting in their members' best interests.
What we should all be doing imo is pressing for an urgent reform of the banking system. We should go back to the old system of retail banking with investment arms kept well out of the way of other people's capital investments.
Better to pay for your banking service than risk a situation where the bank has invested your and other clients' money in risky speculative ventures, leaving the banks without sufficient reserve capital to meet obligations.
You'd think that those who rule the world would see it is in their ultimate interests to insist on major structural reforms and tight financial regulation.
But greed, like lust, stops the brain functioning, it seems.


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## Happyexpat (Apr 4, 2011)

*Root of all evil*

An excellent summary of the real problem and even a potential solution. Unfortunately while vested interest exists in Goverments all over the world it ain't gonna happen. Right across the world we are still walking a financial tightrope and nobody has yet properly put the safety net out. As you say greed and lust but I think their brains are working, just not for us peasants.
Some, maybe the majority of unions, are acting in their members best interests but one only has to look at the BA situation to wonder about some of them.



mrypg9 said:


> I think it's called realism. Or you could look at it in Marxist terms....he did write that one should see the world as it is and not as you would like it to be.
> No-one with any intelligence would describe the system under which most humans have lived for centuries -possibly since recorded history began - as ideal. It is based on greed and selfishness.
> But it won't be replaced in our lifetimes and the alternatives have proved far worse in terms of human suffering and have not succeeded in raising people's living standards.
> So the Unions are acting in their members' best interests.
> ...


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> You'd think that those who rule the world would see it is in their ultimate interests to insist on major structural reforms and tight financial regulation.
> But greed, like lust, stops the brain functioning, it seems.


Tbh it's why I always thought that Marxism would never work; it's idealist and unfortunately the world is governed by people who themselves are governed by self interest.


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## Happyexpat (Apr 4, 2011)

And thus I suspect it will always be despite promises and manifestos to the contrary. It is easy for a few to have ideals but easier for others to work around them to their own advantage!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

thrax said:


> Tbh it's why I always thought that Marxism would never work; it's idealist and unfortunately the world is governed by people who themselves are governed by self interest.


Though funnily enough Marxist economic theory is the only one that can explain the recent financial crisis ... none of the conventional economists could see it coming!


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Economic theory is one thing, governing a country is just a tad more tricky


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

thrax said:


> Economic theory is one thing, governing a country is just a tad more tricky


Of course. It´s just a shame that the people who govern the country don't take a bit more notice of it.

But that assumes that the government runs the country of course, whereas we all know it's the capitalist lizard people ....


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

:clap2h oh conspiracy theory and David Icke rearing their beautiful heads :clap2:


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