The UK could learn a lot from Germany’s long-term industrial strategy

[barryqwalsh]

As a share of its economy, Germany’s manufacturing sector is twice the size of Britain’s – 23% of national GDP, compared with 11%, according to the World Bank. Unlike Britain, it runs a large surplus on trade in goods. The German steel industry has not buckled under the pressure of dumping by China.

So what’s the secret? How can high-cost, high-tax Germany thrive as an industrial superpower while Britain has seen the progressive hollowing-out of its manufacturing base?


The UK could learn a lot from Germany’s long-term industrial strategy

 

[SassyIrishLass]

The UK was once a world power...today it's a hot mess

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Tata Steel: Why Did the UK Government Block EU Attempts to Save the Steel Industry?
There is no industrial strategy in the UK. Not one member of the government has any interest in industry.
In the link I have posted the author neglects to mention that cheap dumped steel from China would actually support the short ter plans of a government that cant see beyond its nose.

 

[Phoenall]

Tata Steel: Why Did the UK Government Block EU Attempts to Save the Steel Industry?
There is no industrial strategy in the UK. Not one member of the government has any interest in industry.
In the link I have posted the author neglects to mention that cheap dumped steel from China would actually support the short ter plans of a government that cant see beyond its nose.

Because they could no longer live of the gains made by the English steel works. I worked in the iron and steel industry for 32 years and watched the welsh get all the new plant and destroy it. In 2001 the local coil plate mill was closed and the work it did was given to Llanwern who are landlocked by mountains and can only manage small deliveries. The iron making at Llanwern was closed down because it was too old, and the original plan was to close Llanwern fully as it was a liability. They hoped to have Port Talbot produce enough steel to supply both sites and fulfil orders for the next 5 years. When customers saw the quality of the products from the welsh works they went overseas for the steel. I was one of a team that went to wales to show them how to roll steel to exaction quality that would be acceptable anywhere. After a week of instruction and trying to educate the steel workers all we got was we know how to roll steel, and you don't which is why you were shut down. Next thing we were told we were to supply the welsh works with steel to roll into plate for our old customers, so we went from 40,000 tonnes a week in slab form to 100,000 tonnes a week because they could not cope. This meant that they were expecting us to do the orders for both works because port Talbot had lost its iron making capabilities. The same thing went all the way back to the 1970's when wales failed to break even and dragged the rest of British Steel down, and they are still the same today.
On top- of this the EU pulled the plug on subsidy's and tightened pollution controls in the favour of Germany and France. The German and French steel industries were the newest in the world having been built by the British and Americans in 1945 on. Even then they could not match our quality or output so they went even further in their aim of destroying Britain. The only answer is to come out of the EU and allow the companies to make steel and flood Europe with it

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Tata Steel: Why Did the UK Government Block EU Attempts to Save the Steel Industry?
There is no industrial strategy in the UK. Not one member of the government has any interest in industry.
In the link I have posted the author neglects to mention that cheap dumped steel from China would actually support the short ter plans of a government that cant see beyond its nose.

Because they could no longer live of the gains made by the English steel works. I worked in the iron and steel industry for 32 years and watched the welsh get all the new plant and destroy it. In 2001 the local coil plate mill was closed and the work it did was given to Llanwern who are landlocked by mountains and can only manage small deliveries. The iron making at Llanwern was closed down because it was too old, and the original plan was to close Llanwern fully as it was a liability. They hoped to have Port Talbot produce enough steel to supply both sites and fulfil orders for the next 5 years. When customers saw the quality of the products from the welsh works they went overseas for the steel. I was one of a team that went to wales to show them how to roll steel to exaction quality that would be acceptable anywhere. After a week of instruction and trying to educate the steel workers all we got was we know how to roll steel, and you don't which is why you were shut down. Next thing we were told we were to supply the welsh works with steel to roll into plate for our old customers, so we went from 40,000 tonnes a week in slab form to 100,000 tonnes a week because they could not cope. This meant that they were expecting us to do the orders for both works because port Talbot had lost its iron making capabilities. The same thing went all the way back to the 1970's when wales failed to break even and dragged the rest of British Steel down, and they are still the same today.
On top- of this the EU pulled the plug on subsidy's and tightened pollution controls in the favour of Germany and France. The German and French steel industries were the newest in the world having been built by the British and Americans in 1945 on. Even then they could not match our quality or output so they went even further in their aim of destroying Britain. The only answer is to come out of the EU and allow the companies to make steel and flood Europe with it

No, the problems are worldwide and stem from the fact that China has stockpiled more steel than will ever be used in our lifetime.Why are they doing that ? We all know the answer to that.The answer is for the tories to back our EU partners and put tarrifs on dumped steel.
Its cheaper than nationalising a key strategic industry. But of course they dont want big industry as they showed when they shut down coal to increase our reliance on those nice Russian philanthropists.

 

[barryqwalsh]

The heartfelt letter from the workers' leader to the Prime Minister

• 18:14, 30 MAR 2016
• BY LEN MCCLUSKEY

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite union, calls on David Cameron to act and urges him to tell Tata that they "must sit tight until the right buyer can be found"

The heartfelt letter from the workers' leader to David Cameron

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Steel crisis: they do not give a shit — Mosquito Ridge

I have rarely read a more hard hitting article from a senior journalist. And he is 90% on the money. Countries have a responsibility to maintain strategic industries.
In the UK these bastards have closed down coal and sold steel,water,electric, gas and the railways. All owned by overseas corporations.

 

[Phoenall]

Tata Steel: Why Did the UK Government Block EU Attempts to Save the Steel Industry?
There is no industrial strategy in the UK. Not one member of the government has any interest in industry.
In the link I have posted the author neglects to mention that cheap dumped steel from China would actually support the short ter plans of a government that cant see beyond its nose.

Because they could no longer live of the gains made by the English steel works. I worked in the iron and steel industry for 32 years and watched the welsh get all the new plant and destroy it. In 2001 the local coil plate mill was closed and the work it did was given to Llanwern who are landlocked by mountains and can only manage small deliveries. The iron making at Llanwern was closed down because it was too old, and the original plan was to close Llanwern fully as it was a liability. They hoped to have Port Talbot produce enough steel to supply both sites and fulfil orders for the next 5 years. When customers saw the quality of the products from the welsh works they went overseas for the steel. I was one of a team that went to wales to show them how to roll steel to exaction quality that would be acceptable anywhere. After a week of instruction and trying to educate the steel workers all we got was we know how to roll steel, and you don't which is why you were shut down. Next thing we were told we were to supply the welsh works with steel to roll into plate for our old customers, so we went from 40,000 tonnes a week in slab form to 100,000 tonnes a week because they could not cope. This meant that they were expecting us to do the orders for both works because port Talbot had lost its iron making capabilities. The same thing went all the way back to the 1970's when wales failed to break even and dragged the rest of British Steel down, and they are still the same today.
On top- of this the EU pulled the plug on subsidy's and tightened pollution controls in the favour of Germany and France. The German and French steel industries were the newest in the world having been built by the British and Americans in 1945 on. Even then they could not match our quality or output so they went even further in their aim of destroying Britain. The only answer is to come out of the EU and allow the companies to make steel and flood Europe with it

No, the problems are worldwide and stem from the fact that China has stockpiled more steel than will ever be used in our lifetime.Why are they doing that ? We all know the answer to that.The answer is for the tories to back our EU partners and put tarrifs on dumped steel.
Its cheaper than nationalising a key strategic industry. But of course they dont want big industry as they showed when they shut down coal to increase our reliance on those nice Russian philanthropists.

So you would rather pay £1000 a bag for welsh coal than £5 for imported coal. Or how about having a third rate washing machine costing the same £1000 or a top of the line foreign one costing £250. Just what justification can you give to nationalise any industry and at the same time increase taxation for everyone by 20% to cover the costs. All you think about is taking money of the English to give the welsh a better life and to hell with the consequences. If you want to nationalise Port Talbot then dig deep in your pockets because to bail them out, and then see how good your steel workers are. A clue for you would be to cut wages by 50% in the steel industry and then buy all the cheap Steel from China to keep prices high

 

[Phoenall]

Steel crisis: they do not give a shit — Mosquito Ridge

I have rarely read a more hard hitting article from a senior journalist. And he is 90% on the money. Countries have a responsibility to maintain strategic industries.
In the UK these bastards have closed down coal and sold steel,water,electric, gas and the railways. All owned by overseas corporations.

All sold by Labour out to line their own pockets, just like the pigs in Orwells Animal Farm

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Tata Steel: Why Did the UK Government Block EU Attempts to Save the Steel Industry?
There is no industrial strategy in the UK. Not one member of the government has any interest in industry.
In the link I have posted the author neglects to mention that cheap dumped steel from China would actually support the short ter plans of a government that cant see beyond its nose.

Because they could no longer live of the gains made by the English steel works. I worked in the iron and steel industry for 32 years and watched the welsh get all the new plant and destroy it. In 2001 the local coil plate mill was closed and the work it did was given to Llanwern who are landlocked by mountains and can only manage small deliveries. The iron making at Llanwern was closed down because it was too old, and the original plan was to close Llanwern fully as it was a liability. They hoped to have Port Talbot produce enough steel to supply both sites and fulfil orders for the next 5 years. When customers saw the quality of the products from the welsh works they went overseas for the steel. I was one of a team that went to wales to show them how to roll steel to exaction quality that would be acceptable anywhere. After a week of instruction and trying to educate the steel workers all we got was we know how to roll steel, and you don't which is why you were shut down. Next thing we were told we were to supply the welsh works with steel to roll into plate for our old customers, so we went from 40,000 tonnes a week in slab form to 100,000 tonnes a week because they could not cope. This meant that they were expecting us to do the orders for both works because port Talbot had lost its iron making capabilities. The same thing went all the way back to the 1970's when wales failed to break even and dragged the rest of British Steel down, and they are still the same today.
On top- of this the EU pulled the plug on subsidy's and tightened pollution controls in the favour of Germany and France. The German and French steel industries were the newest in the world having been built by the British and Americans in 1945 on. Even then they could not match our quality or output so they went even further in their aim of destroying Britain. The only answer is to come out of the EU and allow the companies to make steel and flood Europe with it

No, the problems are worldwide and stem from the fact that China has stockpiled more steel than will ever be used in our lifetime.Why are they doing that ? We all know the answer to that.The answer is for the tories to back our EU partners and put tarrifs on dumped steel.
Its cheaper than nationalising a key strategic industry. But of course they dont want big industry as they showed when they shut down coal to increase our reliance on those nice Russian philanthropists.

So you would rather pay £1000 a bag for welsh coal than £5 for imported coal. Or how about having a third rate washing machine costing the same £1000 or a top of the line foreign one costing £250. Just what justification can you give to nationalise any industry and at the same time increase taxation for everyone by 20% to cover the costs. All you think about is taking money of the English to give the welsh a better life and to hell with the consequences. If you want to nationalise Port Talbot then dig deep in your pockets because to bail them out, and then see how good your steel workers are. A clue for you would be to cut wages by 50% in the steel industry and then buy all the cheap Steel from China to keep prices high

So let me get this right. You are advocating for a total free market in an industry where China imposes tariffs of 46% on our steel and dumps its own steel at below cost.
Wow. I wonder if you can spell short term you dumb fuck ?

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Steel crisis: they do not give a shit — Mosquito Ridge

I have rarely read a more hard hitting article from a senior journalist. And he is 90% on the money. Countries have a responsibility to maintain strategic industries.
In the UK these bastards have closed down coal and sold steel,water,electric, gas and the railways. All owned by overseas corporations.

All sold by Labour out to line their own pockets, just like the pigs in Orwells Animal Farm

Sold by Thatcher you stupid fuck. Dont you know anything ?

 

[barryqwalsh]

Steel crisis: they do not give a shit — Mosquito Ridge

I have rarely read a more hard hitting article from a senior journalist. And he is 90% on the money. Countries have a responsibility to maintain strategic industries.
In the UK these bastards have closed down coal and sold steel,water,electric, gas and the railways. All owned by overseas corporations.

All sold by Labour out to line their own pockets, just like the pigs in Orwells Animal Farm

Sold by Thatcher you stupid fuck. Dont you know anything ?

You can argue your point of view without being crude.

 

[Phoenall]

Tata Steel: Why Did the UK Government Block EU Attempts to Save the Steel Industry?
There is no industrial strategy in the UK. Not one member of the government has any interest in industry.
In the link I have posted the author neglects to mention that cheap dumped steel from China would actually support the short ter plans of a government that cant see beyond its nose.

Because they could no longer live of the gains made by the English steel works. I worked in the iron and steel industry for 32 years and watched the welsh get all the new plant and destroy it. In 2001 the local coil plate mill was closed and the work it did was given to Llanwern who are landlocked by mountains and can only manage small deliveries. The iron making at Llanwern was closed down because it was too old, and the original plan was to close Llanwern fully as it was a liability. They hoped to have Port Talbot produce enough steel to supply both sites and fulfil orders for the next 5 years. When customers saw the quality of the products from the welsh works they went overseas for the steel. I was one of a team that went to wales to show them how to roll steel to exaction quality that would be acceptable anywhere. After a week of instruction and trying to educate the steel workers all we got was we know how to roll steel, and you don't which is why you were shut down. Next thing we were told we were to supply the welsh works with steel to roll into plate for our old customers, so we went from 40,000 tonnes a week in slab form to 100,000 tonnes a week because they could not cope. This meant that they were expecting us to do the orders for both works because port Talbot had lost its iron making capabilities. The same thing went all the way back to the 1970's when wales failed to break even and dragged the rest of British Steel down, and they are still the same today.
On top- of this the EU pulled the plug on subsidy's and tightened pollution controls in the favour of Germany and France. The German and French steel industries were the newest in the world having been built by the British and Americans in 1945 on. Even then they could not match our quality or output so they went even further in their aim of destroying Britain. The only answer is to come out of the EU and allow the companies to make steel and flood Europe with it

No, the problems are worldwide and stem from the fact that China has stockpiled more steel than will ever be used in our lifetime.Why are they doing that ? We all know the answer to that.The answer is for the tories to back our EU partners and put tarrifs on dumped steel.
Its cheaper than nationalising a key strategic industry. But of course they dont want big industry as they showed when they shut down coal to increase our reliance on those nice Russian philanthropists.

So you would rather pay £1000 a bag for welsh coal than £5 for imported coal. Or how about having a third rate washing machine costing the same £1000 or a top of the line foreign one costing £250. Just what justification can you give to nationalise any industry and at the same time increase taxation for everyone by 20% to cover the costs. All you think about is taking money of the English to give the welsh a better life and to hell with the consequences. If you want to nationalise Port Talbot then dig deep in your pockets because to bail them out, and then see how good your steel workers are. A clue for you would be to cut wages by 50% in the steel industry and then buy all the cheap Steel from China to keep prices high

So let me get this right. You are advocating for a total free market in an industry where China imposes tariffs of 46% on our steel and dumps its own steel at below cost.
Wow. I wonder if you can spell short term you dumb fuck ?

That's right we impose tarrifs on their Steel that makes it uneconomical for them to even ship it. Or you could just carry on as you are and see mass unemployment because we cant afford the high wages demanded. Like the miners under Scargill demanding £250 a week when the national wage was £75 a week. remember those days of walk outs and strikes that left thousands without food and heating because dumb communists like your self wanted to ride the gravy train. I remember some people talking about the fantastic wage they had that week because they had put in a full weeks work and overtime. The prices rising every day in shops because they could not get the goods, queues outside garages for new cars that were available while British made cars were rusting in the showrooms.

Maybe if I translated the posts into welsh you might understand them better, because you seem to struggle with English. Or would you prefer Russian, the language of the brain dead neo Marxists.

 

[Phoenall]

Steel crisis: they do not give a shit — Mosquito Ridge

I have rarely read a more hard hitting article from a senior journalist. And he is 90% on the money. Countries have a responsibility to maintain strategic industries.
In the UK these bastards have closed down coal and sold steel,water,electric, gas and the railways. All owned by overseas corporations.

All sold by Labour out to line their own pockets, just like the pigs in Orwells Animal Farm

Sold by Thatcher you stupid fuck. Dont you know anything ?

Wrong sold by the likes of Blair and Brown to pay for their failed policies. They are even admitting now that in the boom years they were still unable to balance the books and had to borrow to pay of the last years loans. Who borrows to pay of debt ?

 

[Phoenall]

Steel crisis: they do not give a shit — Mosquito Ridge

I have rarely read a more hard hitting article from a senior journalist. And he is 90% on the money. Countries have a responsibility to maintain strategic industries.
In the UK these bastards have closed down coal and sold steel,water,electric, gas and the railways. All owned by overseas corporations.

All sold by Labour out to line their own pockets, just like the pigs in Orwells Animal Farm

Sold by Thatcher you stupid fuck. Dont you know anything ?

You can argue your point of view without being crude.

He cant he is a product of neo Marxist failures that sees the rape of millions of underage girls as a good thing if it keeps his hero's in power.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Steel crisis: they do not give a shit — Mosquito Ridge

I have rarely read a more hard hitting article from a senior journalist. And he is 90% on the money. Countries have a responsibility to maintain strategic industries.
In the UK these bastards have closed down coal and sold steel,water,electric, gas and the railways. All owned by overseas corporations.

All sold by Labour out to line their own pockets, just like the pigs in Orwells Animal Farm

Sold by Thatcher you stupid fuck. Dont you know anything ?

You can argue your point of view without being crude.

What can you do with someone who is either a straight out liar or too stupid to use cutlery. Mainly I just laugh at him but sometimes it gets too much to bare.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Tata Steel: Why Did the UK Government Block EU Attempts to Save the Steel Industry?
There is no industrial strategy in the UK. Not one member of the government has any interest in industry.
In the link I have posted the author neglects to mention that cheap dumped steel from China would actually support the short ter plans of a government that cant see beyond its nose.

Because they could no longer live of the gains made by the English steel works. I worked in the iron and steel industry for 32 years and watched the welsh get all the new plant and destroy it. In 2001 the local coil plate mill was closed and the work it did was given to Llanwern who are landlocked by mountains and can only manage small deliveries. The iron making at Llanwern was closed down because it was too old, and the original plan was to close Llanwern fully as it was a liability. They hoped to have Port Talbot produce enough steel to supply both sites and fulfil orders for the next 5 years. When customers saw the quality of the products from the welsh works they went overseas for the steel. I was one of a team that went to wales to show them how to roll steel to exaction quality that would be acceptable anywhere. After a week of instruction and trying to educate the steel workers all we got was we know how to roll steel, and you don't which is why you were shut down. Next thing we were told we were to supply the welsh works with steel to roll into plate for our old customers, so we went from 40,000 tonnes a week in slab form to 100,000 tonnes a week because they could not cope. This meant that they were expecting us to do the orders for both works because port Talbot had lost its iron making capabilities. The same thing went all the way back to the 1970's when wales failed to break even and dragged the rest of British Steel down, and they are still the same today.
On top- of this the EU pulled the plug on subsidy's and tightened pollution controls in the favour of Germany and France. The German and French steel industries were the newest in the world having been built by the British and Americans in 1945 on. Even then they could not match our quality or output so they went even further in their aim of destroying Britain. The only answer is to come out of the EU and allow the companies to make steel and flood Europe with it

No, the problems are worldwide and stem from the fact that China has stockpiled more steel than will ever be used in our lifetime.Why are they doing that ? We all know the answer to that.The answer is for the tories to back our EU partners and put tarrifs on dumped steel.
Its cheaper than nationalising a key strategic industry. But of course they dont want big industry as they showed when they shut down coal to increase our reliance on those nice Russian philanthropists.

So you would rather pay £1000 a bag for welsh coal than £5 for imported coal. Or how about having a third rate washing machine costing the same £1000 or a top of the line foreign one costing £250. Just what justification can you give to nationalise any industry and at the same time increase taxation for everyone by 20% to cover the costs. All you think about is taking money of the English to give the welsh a better life and to hell with the consequences. If you want to nationalise Port Talbot then dig deep in your pockets because to bail them out, and then see how good your steel workers are. A clue for you would be to cut wages by 50% in the steel industry and then buy all the cheap Steel from China to keep prices high

So let me get this right. You are advocating for a total free market in an industry where China imposes tariffs of 46% on our steel and dumps its own steel at below cost.
Wow. I wonder if you can spell short term you dumb fuck ?

That's right we impose tarrifs on their Steel that makes it uneconomical for them to even ship it. Or you could just carry on as you are and see mass unemployment because we cant afford the high wages demanded. Like the miners under Scargill demanding £250 a week when the national wage was £75 a week. remember those days of walk outs and strikes that left thousands without food and heating because dumb communists like your self wanted to ride the gravy train. I remember some people talking about the fantastic wage they had that week because they had put in a full weeks work and overtime. The prices rising every day in shops because they could not get the goods, queues outside garages for new cars that were available while British made cars were rusting in the showrooms.

Maybe if I translated the posts into welsh you might understand them better, because you seem to struggle with English. Or would you prefer Russian, the language of the brain dead neo Marxists.

Maybe you could translate your posts into adult so that they make sense.China is dumping steel to kill off our steel industry. Meanwhile you are living in the 70s with your bitter cliched view of the world.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Steel crisis: they do not give a shit — Mosquito Ridge

I have rarely read a more hard hitting article from a senior journalist. And he is 90% on the money. Countries have a responsibility to maintain strategic industries.
In the UK these bastards have closed down coal and sold steel,water,electric, gas and the railways. All owned by overseas corporations.

All sold by Labour out to line their own pockets, just like the pigs in Orwells Animal Farm

Sold by Thatcher you stupid fuck. Dont you know anything ?

Wrong sold by the likes of Blair and Brown to pay for their failed policies. They are even admitting now that in the boom years they were still unable to balance the books and had to borrow to pay of the last years loans. Who borrows to pay of debt ?

British Steel - 86 thatcher
British Gas - 86 thatcher
Water - 89 thatcher
BR - from 89 thatcher/major
Electric - 90 thatcher

Why do you lie about basic facts ?
A week ago you told us that a London hospital spent "£4m a year" on translation services to help immigrants. I asked you to name that hospital.
Obviously you couldnt because the bill nationally is around £3m.
You have no credibility at all. You are a joke.