Ann Marie Le Bloas speaking for the now redundant Woolworth's workers outside the St Helier store.........
The question still remains - "where has all the money gone"? With all our finance centre expertise and our "open and transparent government" why does nobody appear to know the answer?
And where are our Ministers? The ex Woolworth's staff need as much support as we can give them. They are holding a public meeting in the Royal Square Tuesday 20th of January at 9.30am - be there if you can.
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Have the staff had no wages recently?
ReplyDeleteSo have our government left the woolies staff to fight there own battles.
ReplyDeleteVoiceforchildren well done.
Where are our leaders do they have there heads in the Pic x Mix.
HI VFC.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is on fire so many scoops well done its all about getting off your backside and your leading the way..
Now the building trade is starting to rock...
Who was it that said recession & jersey don't mix
rs
The Woolworth manager has been very qiuet. What kind of deal was he given I wonder???????????????
ReplyDeleteEVERYTHING IS ROSY
ReplyDeleteNOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
SAFE HANDS
Philip Ozouf when seeking election.
Tell that to the people being made redundant.
Even JTMS superior finance industry are going to lay off people.
Bet some of the staff at Woolworth hope he is one of them.
Well done VFC.
Another great interview - keep up the good work, at least we are now getting to hear the truth!
ReplyDeleteVery impressed with the way you have moved away from confrontation and gone for real news.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up!
Excellent Citizens TV. Keep it up citizen.
ReplyDeleteThe woolworth workers should have gone into occupation of the store as this would have strengthened their bargaining hand viz the administrators and the government.
It seems they had virtually no political advice and support as to how to run, and more importantly,win their campaign. Pity.
If the States of Jersey support the woolies staff financialy, I just hope the 500 or so workers in the finance industry will also be supported by the government.
ReplyDeleteWill you be waiting outside the banks to interview them as well?
Finance workers caused this xxxxxg mess in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI have no sympathy for them.
Greed eventually catches people up.
Woolies staff in Jersey have paid much less tax on their earnings than their counterparts in the UK. A single person earning £18,000 would have paid approximately £5,000 in tax and National Insurance Contributions in the UK, but only about £3,000 in tax and social security in Jersey in 2008 alone. A long standing employee would have paid tens of thousands less in Jersey over the years. If the Jersey staff had kept back some of their tax savings they would not now be begging from the States. If Jersey is to have a statutory redundancy pay scheme that is fine, but it would have to be paid for by increased taxation. Wake up and smell the coffee!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind increased taxation to help the unfortunates in our society.
ReplyDeleteI do get very peed off paying tax to support the culture of greed.
For the one "smelling the coffee."
ReplyDeleteIf the rich paid a fair share we wouldn't need GST, and could afford redundancy terms and proper humans rights legislation over here, proper care for the elderly, unemployment benfits etc. Oh and yes the majority could all have a better standard of living. I doubt the rich would even notice their extra contributions, just as I doubt it would make a jot of difference to them in real terms.
In my opinion the only reason for this inequality is greed and wanting to keep others down. Ego has a big part to play in all this. Unfortunately I know some think they are better than others because of the size of their bank balance or their 4x4. How sad when people around the world are starving etc.
Maybe it is about time the wealthy were embarrassed into paying a decent amount of tax? Why should I pay my way and have to pay GST when these greedy people are milking it and living the life of Riley or is that what is know as Life Enriching? They are getting an unfair advantage over the rest of the hard working people just because they are able to dictate terms. Maybe the majority needs to dictate terms to the minority ofr a change?
ReplyDeleteI think everyone should pay their way or ship out and give someone else the chance of living in a lovely island. I have had enough of being taken for granted.
Someone posted if the rich paid their fair share we wouldn't have GST. What rubbish.
ReplyDeleteI pay a mortgage, have private health care, children in private education, employ local people (do you have any idea how much it costs an employer in social security contributions) and I pay taxes to boot.
Now compare this to those who live in states accomodation, rely on government schools for their children's education and the NHS (or equivalent of). And tell me how much does that cost the island compared to how much I am saving the island.
And what about the people who are a real drain on our society, the people who are part of this growing dependency culture that this island seems to be breeding at the moment. If they had their income support stopped they would soon get off their lazy backsides and find a job.
These are the people that should be critized for costing this island 1000's a year.
Oh it's easy to knock the succesful, but I have worked bloody hard to be in the position I am in and am proud of the fact that I have never had to rely on this island for one penny. I chose to work hard for what i have got instead.
I agree with the above. Jersey is the easiest place in the world to live. If you want to work you can. Coming from the UK, where things are genuinely tough, life is piss easy here. If you can't get a job in Jersey you must be useless, lazy, or both.
ReplyDeleteFor the person who is happy for others to pay more tax than he himself in real terms puts in. Please remember others make you successfull by working for you. If you think that paying for their social security contributions is too much of a burden for you, do all the work yourself and save money. See how far that gets you. You make profit out of others pure and simple don't degrudge paying your fair share of taxes.
ReplyDeleteIf I am expected to pay 20 means 20 then I expect you to pay 20 means 20 or is this only for poorer people?
Are you honestly telling me that the rich aren't saving a vast amount in tax over here? Are you trying to tell me all those on welfare take out more than the combined savings you and your collegues make?
I also have private health insurance, I also paid for private education for my children, I also work hard. However I don't have my own business on which I can get my taxes reduced. I pay my way, but have no guarenteed job, neither do I make money out of others own hard work. When you pay the same as the masses in real terms then you can critise others.
Is that person working hard at getting his workers to work harder?
ReplyDeleteIt was very cheap to live in Jersey but it isn't anymore. Why is this? Why are we paying over the odds for nearly everything now? Who is profiting from this? Ordinary have a right to live and not just the rich, or have they forgotten this?
Various posters are quite correct that those who have come to Jersey as tax exiles ('11Ks') pay a much lower rate of tax, percentage-wise, than the less well off, and also that 20 means 20 does not apply to them. However, they do pay a minimum of £250,000 in tax per year. These individuals are by definition mobile (they came to Jersey for the tax breaks) so if they were taxed more highly could ship out to Guernsey, or Monaco, or wherever, at the drop of a hat. So the question is do we (as 'normal' Jersey residents) want something, or nothing. Plus there is their spending in shops, restaurants, etc. Nothing is gained for Jersey society by driving these people out. Also, to correct a common misconception, 'native' Jersey wealthy people pay the full rate of tax.
ReplyDeleteso if they were taxed more highly could ship out to Guernsey, or Monaco, or wherever, at the drop of a hat.
ReplyDeleteCan we start a collection 4 their tickets?
As far as I am concerned let them go and take advantage elsewhere. I don't want my children struggling to buy a half million pound rabbit hutch because these type of people have pushed house prices through the roof. They take far more than they give in real terms. They pretend they are doing Jersey a favour but they are really helping themselves.
ReplyDeleteThey should pay like everyone else is expected to. We can't afford free loaders anymore. Times are hard.
ReplyDeleteThe notion that the presence of tax exiles in the island pushes up house prices is absurd. There are very few of these people, and they do not buy - indeed are not permitted to buy - 2 bedroom semis in town. They buy multi-million pound mansions. Any distortion in the property market caused by 11Ks would only be at the very top end, and would be utterly irrelevant to 99.9% of islanders. To how many readers of this blog would it make a difference if that eight bedroom, six bathroom, twin garage granite farmhouse with swimming pool, stables, extensive grounds and stunning sea views was on the market for £2 million instead of £2.5 million?
ReplyDeleteInflated property prices in the lower and middle tiers - 'ordinary' houses - is caused by J-category purchasers, and I assume no-one argues with their presence here as they provide us with a good proportion of our doctors, nurses, teachers, and other skilled essential workers. Plus those in the finance industry, of course. [Light blue touch paper and retire to a safe distance...].
By the way, does anyone genuinely believe that if Jersey changed its low tax policy - and therefore lost its tax exiles and finance industry - that we could survive on agriculture and tourism again? I don't think such an island economy could support a population of any more than 15-20,000, most of whom would be living a third world existence. Would that be progress?
It is sad to see this shop go, it was great value for kids stuff and I always found the staff helpful there.
ReplyDeleteRe the rich not affecting the property prices over here.
ReplyDeleteYes they do as they have a habit of paying over the odds for their property causing everything below to be sucked upwards. Some of the prices now being asked are obsene. This would not be so if they weren't here because people would only pay what something was worth and not twice the amount because they can.
The super rich also buy more than one property for investment purposes thus denying someone else the option of owning a nice house.
J cats also cause problems as they help to push up the layer below as well. So we have the top layer over inflated and the next layer over inflated is it any wonder a rabbit box is now £500,000?
So your arguement doesn't add up as far as I am concerned. Yes things might be a bit harder for the rest but so what? I would prefer good honest people prepared to muck in than those who think they have a God given right to dictate terms to those who are inferior on the money scale. I would much prefer them to go elsewhere and suck off of someone else.
As per your example I would have more chance of buying a £2M property than a 2.5M property as 0.5M is alot to me but loose change to some of these big boys!
As per those who expect a sudden exodus if people had to pay more this is scare mongering are people really going to move if they have to pay more? There are far more benefits to living in Jersey than just money you know even though certain people would have you believe it is only money keeping them here. I say suck it and see I bet many would still stay.
Finance as far as I am concerned has done little to raise people's standards of living over here. Yes people working in it have benefited with a job but have they really creamed it because of these jobs? I don't think so. I believe there is much more of a downside than upside with finance. If you don't want overcrowding, more crime, more pollution, more rubbish, more fear, higher prices, a balanced economy, over development, more greed, loss of island identity etc etc then you don't want finance. If you want all of these and more in abundance you can have finance. Can anyone really say hand on heart things are better now than they were 40 years ago for the average person? If you can't then you must agree finance has made the island a worse place to live for many.
We had 60,000 odd in the 60's and got by fine and just about everyone was happy and content. We have had a massive influx of people and now we have to look after all these people as well in old age and the major reason is because of because of finance.
As regards J cats they do jobs vital to the island. I ask why is it no one born here is able to do any of these jobs? Is everyone in Jersey too stupid to do more than ordinary jobs, or is it the fact that we have grown beyond our capacity and need all these extras to balance the books because we let in all these extra people to start with? If the later is the case where will it end, when we are under concrete and have 10M people here trying to kill each other because of bad conditions?
I have to ask is what I have described above progress? If you say yes then I say you can keep!
I think there are many flaws in the last posters comment. Principally there is the notion that because agriculture and tourism sustained a population of 60,000+ in the 60s it can do so again. Since then, the advent of the cheap package holiday has decimated tourism, and industrial farming techniques and air freight have crippled agriculture. There are still profitable niche markets in both areas, but to think that we could economically sustain 60,000 is fantasy.
ReplyDeleteBTW, it is refreshing and laudable that the owner of this blog permits open debate of both sides of issues, unlike certain other prominent local blogs.
I stand by what I said. When finance leaves the population will reduce to a sustainable level. Times change, nothing stays the same, finance is not immune from changes either. It will go the way of all of Jersey's earlier industries, it is no better than them, each had its time and place. I think the time is rapidly running out for finance, people will still cling to it as much as a drowning man clings to a straw but the inevitable will happen.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it worse for these type of people is they have nothing to fall back on much like a one trick pony has nothing else to do. Once their expertise is no longer required they will fade away into the dim recesses of history, much like the cod trade, or the knitting industry. If these one trick people are unable to do anything else they will suffer in the reduced job market. I doubt there will be much need for pen pushers and number crunchers once the depression gets a proper grip.
If I worked in finance I would look to diversify asap before the axe comes down and I was out of work with no prospect of finding a new job in Jersey. I can see that things don't add up over here and in the global market place, and have known for quite some time, others are slowly being to see the true picture no matter how much certain establishment organs spin things we will get hit. By all means stick your head in the sand but don't be surprised if you get a nasty shock.
P.S. if you could pick out bits you thought were wrong and post what was wrong with them I'll see if I can argue the point.