We should all protest by not filling up at Total service stations for this insult!

[21QUEST]

I tend to avoid Total garages anyways but I support the protest.


Ben

Originally Posted by Gene genie

aren't the brittish workers the victims here?

Never said they weren't-but when you start complaining about things in the context of different nationalities getting jobs over others,surely thats racial.

[Spikenipple]

Originally Posted by ranathari

Suck it up and accept that your actions will have no consequences.

Isn't this the reason that the british people never get anything done?
The general attitude is that 'I will be wasting my time if I try and do anything, cause no-one else will help me.' It kind of snowballs really.
We are a country of people who moan about things but never actually make a collective (hence effective) effort to do something about it!!

I bet Brown would have paid Total the difference to offer us Britts the jobs!

[21QUEST]

Originally Posted by husky03

Never said they weren't-but when you start complaining about things in the context of different nationalities getting jobs over others,surely thats racial.

Not racial....just the colour of the passport of the Countries, the workers are supposedly coming from


Ben

harsh reality of modern life now-as long as it doesn't affect the individual directly, most will just carry on regardless-its only when it hits you personally that you realise the implications-i'd rather uk jobs went to uk people but that was lost long ago-but thats a total different issue

Hmm....are we supposed to pay more just because it's British? We sometimes make that choice in our personal lives (I dunno, say we pay that little bit more for British food, or something). But it's our choice - if I had British farmers banging at my door telling me about their "right to supply me my food" and all sorts, I'd tell them to feck the hell off!!

That's basically what the British workers have been saying - "employ us - at a higher price - because we're British, er and that's about the gist of it". That's completely ridiculous, economical problems or no economical problems.

Perhaps if they came up with some semblence a reasonable argument - e.g. "if you pay us more, you get higher quality, see evidence A, B, and C", or "if you don't employ us now, further down the road we won't be available (changed careers or something) and for reasons X and Y the current workers will end up costing you more than we would have". Then they might have a chance. But "employ me cos I is British, innit" is so, so ridiculous.

[timwilky]

You cannot blame Total. We have the free movement of goods and services under European law. We Brits have the right to work anywhere in Europe. Just as much as any Italian. Portuguese or even Pole.

The one thing about European law I have noticed on my European travels is interpretation of European law. We being a law abiding nation who would never think of rising up and chopping the head of a tyrannical ruler (Oh yes we did that with the first Charlie, before the French ever had the guts to do it to a Louis.) blindly follow every European dictate from upon high. Every other simply gives a Gallic shrug and applys interpretation.

No French/German/Italian business would place contracts outside of their host country unless they could not source their desired service locally. They would never employ a Brit etc. If local labour was available. Their governments support business and deem it in the nations interest. Gordon and his crownies would rather see a profitable business fail for a lack of a short time financial support. Unless of course that business might offer you a non executive directorship, When the populus finally gets to boot you out.

I am not going to get into specifics. But I have seen/experienced enough of the use of European rules to strenthen one countries economic/manufacturing base to the detriment of anothers that I think the day will come when British workers demand we come out of Europe, just to protect the few jobs we still have left.

Okay, I don't live in the UK, but hear that some parts of the country are into their second or third generation of unemployment and the actions described only worsen the situation. The same BS (although there are rules concerning wages and conditions) is happening here and I am one of those who has given my local MP a big earful - repectfully of course so as not to come across as a loon. The only way to change the law is put pressure on those that make the law.

Cheers

I hope I don't get sent back home, I'm a brit working for an American company in Holland, according to some of the above I shouldn't be here in Holland...