Brexit is Brilliant (or is it?)

[6456739]

On another tack. Interesting thing when I was over in the UK last week everywhere I went saw signs for staff wanted. Maybe that's a result of Cocid?

I don't think so. The UK voted to leave on the back of a very xenophobic campaign. Now, EU migrants need visas to go pull pints and pick fruit in a country with a weakening economy that loathes them. I live in London but if I were in Ireland contemplating a move, I'd cancel it and stay at home.

[490808]

I had to leave the Covid option open. I think it has a small part to play in that some foreign nationals went home because of it and didn't come back. I was down in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago and Cornwall has always had high unemployment figures but thats where I saw lots of signs up looking for workers.

[Peregrinus]

Covid might the reason why people quit their jobs or were laid off, but Brexit is more likely to be the reason why they're not coming back.

[CelticRambler]

At a board meeting last week, I pointed out to The Corporate Nobility that we were doing well to get away with paying my peers "only" 200€ a day, where the rate in Ireland is currently about 250€/day while in GB it had risen to 400€/day.

I received a message from a colleague in GB a couple of days ago saying that it's now £600/700€ a day, and a vicious feedback loop is in full effect: a "day" has always been typically 10-12 hours on the trot, exempt from the Working Time Directive, but because Brexit has simultaneously cut off the supply of cheap EU graduates and imposed a new range of duties to be carried out, the stress on those who are working - with no prospect of being able to take holiday leave, because there are no replacements available - is encouraging anyone close to retirement to say feckit and leave, adding even more to the workload of a depleted workforce. This is pure Brexit; Covid's just made it worse.

At 700€ a day, though, it's beginning to look tempting. Ten days' work in England would be the equivalent of two months in France!

[6456739]

At a board meeting last week, I pointed out to The Corporate Nobility that we were doing well to get away with paying my peers "only" 200€ a day, where the rate in Ireland is currently about 250€/day while in GB it had risen to 400€/day.

I received a message from a colleague in GB a couple of days ago saying that it's now £600/700€ a day, and a vicious feedback loop is in full effect: a "day" has always been typically 10-12 hours on the trot, exempt from the Working Time Directive, but because Brexit has simultaneously cut off the supply of cheap EU graduates and imposed a new range of duties to be carried out, the stress on those who are working - with no prospect of being able to take holiday leave, because there are no replacements available - is encouraging anyone close to retirement to say feckit and leave, adding even more to the workload of a depleted workforce. This is pure Brexit; Covid's just made it worse.

At 700€ a day, though, it's beginning to look tempting. Ten days' work in England would be the equivalent of two months in France!

Do you mind if I ask what sector you're in?

My mate in Paris told me he gets 40 days a year annual leave which is insane.

[Scotty]

My mate in Paris told me he gets 40 days a year annual leave which is insane.

Sounds like the civil service here with their avg of 41.

Oh no, they're 'sick days'. Sorry.

(Funny how so many are sick every year during the Cheltenham festival though!!)

[CelticRambler]

Happy to do so by PM, but would rather not "out in the open"

Someone getting 40 days a year is probably working on the basis of "RTT" - i.e. working more than the statutory 35hr a week, so getting additional holiday to balance the books. There's nothing exceptional about it in France (i.e. any employer can propose it, not just civil service) and it's quite common. That said, there's also provision in French law for the employer to decide when you take your holidays, which in most cases they'll schedule for July and August, seeing as they have to give you time off in July or August anyway. That's why so many businesses in France simply shut down completely during this period.

I have a recurring vacancy to fill over the next year or so (deliberately recurring) and one of the selling points (to Irish graduates) is that you'll work so few hours in the week that you don't actually need to use any of your holiday, so you can cash it in at the end of the contract. That's how I work - haven't taken a single day's paid leave in ... ten years? - but have no shortage of time off.

[6456739]

Happy to do so by PM, but would rather not "out in the open"

Someone getting 40 days a year is probably working on the basis of "RTT" - i.e. working more than the statutory 35hr a week, so getting additional holiday to balance the books. There's nothing exceptional about it in France (i.e. any employer can propose it, not just civil service) and it's quite common. That said, there's also provision in French law for the employer to decide when you take your holidays, which in most cases they'll schedule for July and August, seeing as they have to give you time off in July or August anyway. That's why so many businesses in France simply shut down completely during this period.

I have a recurring vacancy to fill over the next year or so (deliberately recurring) and one of the selling points (to Irish graduates) is that you'll work so few hours in the week that you don't actually need to use any of your holiday, so you can cash it in at the end of the contract. That's how I work - haven't taken a single day's paid leave in ... ten years? - but have no shortage of time off.

I was just curious but it's ultimately none of my business so no worries. I shouldn't have asked.

Do you reckon there's any truth in the idea that Irish people just became much more attractive in terms of teaching English since native speakers from the UK are now much harder to import?

[CelticRambler]

I was just curious but it's ultimately none of my business so no worries. I shouldn't have asked.

No harm in asking!

Do you reckon there's any truth in the idea that Irish people just became much more attractive in terms of teaching English since native speakers from the UK are now much harder to import?

Can't speak for that sector in particular, but it wouldn't surprise me. When we were drafting our ads, the one phrase that didn't require any discussion or refining was "Brits need not apply" - there was just no question of even thinking any more about employing a British citizen with a qualification from a British university. As a "regulated profession" we have enough hurdles to overcome for normal registrations without making life more complicated.

Although the teaching of English isn't a regulated profession, I would imagine that there's an inherent barrier now anyway. Someone from Ireland can come over on the fly and see how it goes, and there's no great commitment needed by either side. Someone from GB, though - like anyone from the US or Australia - now has to have the promise of work to warrant a visa, and their employer has to be prepared to give them a contract of a decent length to make it worth the immigrant's while. That's effectively cut all the non-Irish transient workers out of the English language teaching market.

[6456739]

That makes sense. Thanks C.

[dawg]

I wonder if this is a fair illustration of how continental Europe understands Brexit ?

https://www.pprune.org/11121663-post1.html

" Lufthansa
Lufthansa will allow you to take a dog from Dublin to Frankfurt in the cabin (€60 charge) but they will not allow you take the dog back FRA to DUB because (I'm serious) Lufthansa considers Ireland to be part of the UK!

The department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine here in ROI confirm there are no restrictions bringing your pet dog or cat into Ireland from another EU country (providing it has been microchipped, rabies vaccinated, tapeworm free and has an EU pet passport).

How do we give Lufthansa a polite lesson in geography (and possibly history)? "

[CelticRambler]

I wonder if this is a fair illustration of how continental Europe understands Brexit ?

Doubt it - it's a restriction that's been in place since before the referendum, prompting this on-line petition seven years ago. Sounds like nothing more than Lufthansa not having yet woken up to the existence of the Pet Passport scheme.

[dawg]

Thanks C, You truly have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things inter-European

I guess it means that I cant boycott Lufty as they got there first and banned me

[CelticRambler]

Thanks C, You truly have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things inter-European

I have Google, and (this evening) the time to use it!

But looking on Lufty's website, I see they also lump Ireland in with Bangalore ... If I have nothing better to do between dance weekends this month, I just might draft a letter of enquiry on a professional letterhead to ask exactly why they separate Ireland out from their other EU destinations, especially as the DFA specifically state on their website that:

It is up to each individual airline to decide whether to carry the animal in the cabin or as excess baggage – the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine does not decide on this.

[CelticRambler]

In the meantime, over in The Other Place, there's been a lot of knicker-twisting going on about the imminent imposition of a Hard Border (or not) between NI and the RoI, on account of Johnson-Frost's silly ranting about the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Now, while I understand that it's easy to get distracted - even obsessed - by small things close to home, I also think it's rather sad that so many (at least of those still contributing to that thread over there) believe that the NI-RoI border is a Big Deal for the UK. During a couple of long drives these last few days, I had the opportunity to listen to some French political debate on the radio with a bit more attention than I'd usually give it. Even after 17 living in this country, I was quite taken aback at the level of hostility towards the Brits - and not just from the usual suspects, but apparently across the political spectrum.

Something that is almost certainly going to give Pritti Patel nightmares is a developing narrative that if the British don't believe in respecting international treaties - such as the NIP - then there's no reason for France to be keeping non-EU migrants from leaving the Schengen Area. This has come to a head because of that infamous submarine contract - apparently the treaty that saw the French agree to do the Brits' work for them on the French side of the Channel was signed on the back of a gentleman's understanding that France would build the UK's new aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, there were no gentlemen on the UK side, and the French got nothing out of it except the hassle of chasing migrants up and down the coast.

Hell hath no fury like a Frenchman or woman scorned ... and the French are in dire need of a good revolt. I reckon Johnson is too stupid to realise just how powerful a grip the French have on the UK's economy.

[dawg]

.... I was quite taken aback at the level of hostility towards the Brits - and not just from the usual suspects, but apparently across the political spectrum. ...

Yes, this bubbles up to the surface in many facets of life... and its going to be a problem to de-escalate.
I guess John Major and others that have spoken out see this.
As for the hard border in Ireland, there might be a good few on both sides of the magic line who would look forward to that.
Back to old time business as usual.
'suppose it might give some of the SF/IRA boyos a purpose in life too

[CelticRambler]

As for the hard border in Ireland, there might be a good few on both sides of the magic line who would look forward to that.
Back to old time business as usual.
'suppose it might give some of the SF/IRA boyos a purpose in life too

I don't see it ever getting to that point. The rumblings coming out of Dublin, Brussels and other parts of the EUrocracy are that Johnson's going get a good slap. With Macron holding steady in the polls, and the French hard and harder right splitting that part of the vote here, I reckon any nonsense over NI will be just what Macron needs to justify a Jersey-But-Bigger threat. He won that battle without the Royal Navy ever getting to fire a shot across any French bow; and I can imagine that French TV news would relish the prospect of showing desolate English supermarkets on account of the "reinforced checks" at the Channel ports. Johnson will cave before the auld provo boys have even remembered where they buried their rifles.

[95438756]

Will article 16 trigger / activate?
Well?
Come on folks!! Show some mettle, sort yez out from the other site!!
I say article 16 will trigger

[Del.Monte]

Not looking good. All we need is the north going nuts again.

[CelticRambler]

Will article 16 trigger / activate?
Well?
Come on folks!! Show some mettle, sort yez out from the other site!!
I say article 16 will trigger

I think Johnson&Co will say they're triggering Article 16, but because they'll struggle to find any defined situation that's being made worse by the implementation of the Protocol, and identify what it is that they want to discuss about it that they haven't already been discussing all this time (i.e. the sole purpose of Art.16) instead they'll just suspend part of the Protocol "in a limited and specific way" - i.e. break the law - and expect the German carmakers to tell the Irish to suck it up.

[95438756]

Yea that too Boris is a bit of a bluffer. If only Boris could get Poland more onside - some resurgent resentment of German treatment in ww2 lately - then again there has been a certain exodus of polish from UK after brexit was announced.

[Banshee Bones]

Just in case anyone thinks our government wont fold like like a melted welly if the EU (aka the Germans) decide that this is no longer a stick they want to hit the brits with: hows our corporate tax rate looking these days?

[CelticRambler]

You mean the Irish government that started planning for an undesirable Brexit in 2015; and has overseen the radical re-organisation of Ireland's transport links to continental Europe over the last three years; and has also overseen the radical reduction of Ireland's trade with the neighbouring Ireland while simultaneously building up trade with the rest of the world (at a considerably great rate than businesses on the aforementioned neighbouring island)?

A symbolic tweaking of the corporate tax rate (which was always going to be adjusted, sooner or later) is a small price to pay for having the Big Lads firmly on our side.

[6456739]

In the meantime, over in The Other Place, there's been a lot of knicker-twisting going on about the imminent imposition of a Hard Border (or not) between NI and the RoI, on account of Johnson-Frost's silly ranting about the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Now, while I understand that it's easy to get distracted - even obsessed - by small things close to home, I also think it's rather sad that so many (at least of those still contributing to that thread over there) believe that the NI-RoI border is a Big Deal for the UK. During a couple of long drives these last few days, I had the opportunity to listen to some French political debate on the radio with a bit more attention than I'd usually give it. Even after 17 living in this country, I was quite taken aback at the level of hostility towards the Brits - and not just from the usual suspects, but apparently across the political spectrum.

Something that is almost certainly going to give Pritti Patel nightmares is a developing narrative that if the British don't believe in respecting international treaties - such as the NIP - then there's no reason for France to be keeping non-EU migrants from leaving the Schengen Area. This has come to a head because of that infamous submarine contract - apparently the treaty that saw the French agree to do the Brits' work for them on the French side of the Channel was signed on the back of a gentleman's understanding that France would build the UK's new aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, there were no gentlemen on the UK side, and the French got nothing out of it except the hassle of chasing migrants up and down the coast.

Hell hath no fury like a Frenchman or woman scorned ... and the French are in dire need of a good revolt. I reckon Johnson is too stupid to realise just how powerful a grip the French have on the UK's economy.

Wait. Are we not allowed to use the name "B**rds" here? Seriously?

Interesting to hear a continental perspective. Macron has an election coming up and the Brits have softened themselves up nicely for a cheap political win.

[Banshee Bones]

You mean the Irish government that started planning for an undesirable Brexit in 2015; and has overseen the radical re-organisation of Ireland's transport links to continental Europe over the last three years; and has also overseen the radical reduction of Ireland's trade with the neighbouring Ireland while simultaneously building up trade with the rest of the world (at a considerably great rate than businesses on the aforementioned neighbouring island)?

A symbolic tweaking of the corporate tax rate (which was always going to be adjusted, sooner or later) is a small price to pay for having the Big Lads firmly on our side.

A symbolic tweaking? I don't think the most ardent FGer would dare put that level of spin on it.

Come back to me when you've finished the Comical Ali routine.