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Feb 13 2012 12:15
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Feb 13 2012 10:43
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Feb 13 2012 07:58
Greek lawmakers have approved a new round of drastic austerity measures after a long day of street battles between police and protesters left dozens injured.
Berlin - Germany decided on Wednesday to continue restricting free access to workers from new EU member states in eastern Europe until 2011, the labour ministry said.
The ruling "grand coalition" agreed at the same time to slash red tape for highly qualified new EU citizens seeking work in Europe's biggest economy in order to fill yawning gaps in the job market.
In 2004, when the EU expanded to include 10 new members mainly from eastern Europe, Germany persuaded Brussels to allow it to impose restrictions on the newcomers until 2011 at the latest.
It cited fears that a flood of cheap labour would put Germans out of work due to its geographic proximity to the new member states.
The German unemployment rate has since fallen from the double-digit range to 7.5% in June.
Meanwhile German businesses complain of a chronic lack of highly trained workers such as engineers and computer programmers.
From January 1, Germany will lower the minimum annual salary foreigners from the new EU states must earn in order to seek work in Germany to €63 600 from €86 400 currently.
And they will no longer have to prove that they are not taking the job from a potential German applicant.
- AFP