The Lie that the EU is pro-worker

[junketman]

Successive Polish governments have shown their committment to the Shipyards. Now the EU wants to effectively shut down those shipyards and put tens of thousands of Poles out of work directly and those in support services.

So who should have the ultimate say, the Polish government or the EU? There is something rotten if its the EU can do this. No wonder more and more people who were pro EU are becoming Euro sceptic. I have no doubt where the Polish shipyards are located will become unemployment blackspots just like parts of the North of England following the off shoring of manufacturing. The EU won't take into account local conditions on the ground and whether these jobs can be replaced and replaced with what.

Even if for example some multinational IT company moved into the area, would they really hire ship-builders?

I know you keep ignoring this point...

BUT

If the poilish shipyards continued to be subsidised by their government then the other shipyards in Europe would have been art a severe disadvantge, lost business and ended up laying off their workers....

What about them ???

And the first muppet that suggests their governments should subside them gets a slap.

Did you read the article in the link? They are not being subsidised at the moment and haven't been for sometime. Please read the article. The issue is not that the Polish government wants to subsidise them. On the contrary the Polish government wants to privatise them, in line with EU policy. However the EU have decided that the new companies must pay back the money the Polish government invested in the companies years ago. If the same was applied to Aer Lingus, the now privatised Aer Lingus would have to pay back the subsidies it received.

So it's not a cut and dried case of the Polish governmnet throwing more money at their shipyards. It's the EU retrospectively and without legality in my view imposing a law on the Poles which they don't on others.

[junketman]

so perhaps someone could claryify the situation with Northern Rock and how the British government bailed it out. If we were to follow the logic of some people that bank should have been allowed go to the wall. There are certain industries of vital national interest which under any circumstances should not be allowed to go the wall. Banks are one. Airlines in my opinion are another. And shipyards which provide massive employment are another, provided they aren't a black hole. The Polish shipyards are in the process of being transferred to private hands so they aren't a black hole. The Poles would be foolish to heed the EU on this.