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Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

(www.bbc.com)
126 points petermcneeley | 1 comments | 06 Dec 25 19:19 UTC | HN request time: 0.287s | source
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nicbou ◴[07 Dec 25 00:00 UTC] No.46177825[source]▶
To offer a bit of context, the same government just voted to raise current pensions at the expense of steep taxation hikes for current workers, made massive cuts to social services, and is now discussing military service.

This generation is rightfully feeling like they're getting a sore deal.

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throwawaypath[dead post] ◴[07 Dec 25 06:45 UTC] No.46179704[source]▶
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bulbar ◴[07 Dec 25 07:28 UTC] No.46179910[source]▶
Not sure about refugees, but we are for sure in dire need of migration from skilled workers - health care sector is an example. It's still too complicated to migrate and on the other hand it's to still to difficult to remove criminals. The former government improved the situation, but did not fully solve the problem.
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jasonvorhe ◴[07 Dec 25 09:56 UTC] No.46180530[source]▶
This is wrong. I used to work in cafes when I still lived in the city and two locations where close to hospitals and everyone I talked to complained about the risk of employing people with huge language barriers (mostly Ukrainians and Syrians from what I heard) in health related jobs because it has dire consequences if something gets lost in translation. No one of the higher ups cared and they just had to deal with while already being underpaid, overworked and exhausted.
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nicbou ◴[07 Dec 25 10:45 UTC] No.46180764[source]▶
There just isn't enough people who are local and want to do this job for this pay. This happens in Germany but also in my home country.

In Germany there is a whole industry around recruiting foreign nurses. I work in immigration and a few of my colleagues specialise in that. There are websites and initiatives just for that.

It will get worse. This population is aging.

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1. jasonvorhe ◴[07 Dec 25 11:13 UTC] No.46180896[source]▶
That's only half true. You have lots of trained and experienced people willing to do this job despite the low pay because some of these people wouldn't function in a field where they couldn't help other people, even if they sacrifice their own health and financial situation for it.

The issue lies with state subsidies for employing refugees which currently mainly targets Ukrainian workers, though they'll never outright say it: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/unternehmen/arbeitskraefte/gef...

If you have a job to offer you can now decide if you pay a German out of your own pocket or if you hire a Ukrainian who will end up being cheaper for you because the state supports you in doing so.

Have seen this with bicycle mechanics, nurses, nursery homes, lots and lots of cafés.

Goes without saying that I like Ukrainian people just as much as I like Germans, Syrians, Iranians, Russians, etc.