tuff labour laws = higher pay

[rigger]

Interesting article in Monday's WSJ. Germany has the tuffest Labour laws in Europe. It appears the gov't has some approval process over union contracts. They will not approve a contract unless it has productivity gains to go with increases in pay. The result is the Germans have the highest wages in Europe. The lowest unemployment and the highest export trade balance. While pro-Labour countries like Spain, Greece and Portugal have the lowest wages and highest unemployment. How could this be? I am sure I will find some clarifying responses.

Yip

You dont have to look that far the answer is in your back yard.....

DETROIT (WWJ) – According to a*****new report, 47 percent of Detroiters are *****”functionally illiterate.” The alarming new statistics*****were released*****by the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund on Wednesday.
WWJ Newsradio 950 spoke with the*****Fund’s Director, Karen Tyler-Ruiz, who explained exactly what this means.
“Not able to fill out basic forms, for getting a job — those types of basic everyday (things). Reading a prescription; what’s on the bottle, how many you should take… just your basic everyday tasks,” she said.
“I don’t really know how they get by, but they do. Are they getting by well? Well, that’s another question,” Tyler-Ruiz said.
Some of the Detroit suburbs also have high numbers of functionally illiterate: 34 percent in Pontiac and 24 percent in Southfield.**********
“For other major urban areas, we are a little bit on the high side… We compare, slightly higher, to Washington D.C.’s urban population, in*****certain ZIP codes in Washington D.C. and in Cleveland,” she said.
Tyler-Ruiz said only 10 percent of those who can’t read have gotten any help to resolve it.
The report will be used to provide better training for local workers.