300 million spread over 7000 people would give an unemployment benefit a little shy of 3600 euro per month.
I'd wager to guess that's unusual for an unemployment benefit.
Let's make it twice the minimum wage = 1250 per month. Then, costs for the state would be €105 million. Left: €195 million to spent on transition and other affairs.
Last year, the platinum companies in South Africa cut some 30.000+ people. The gold industry cut another 20.000+. Which is truly horrendous, because there is hardly any social safety net in SA. But the point is: firing up to 10.000 people is nothing unusual in mining industry. For Spain, there doesn't need to be any drama, as far as I can see. And shutting down the mines would be for the benefit of everyone, including the environment.
Am I missing something?
Let's make it twice the minimum wage = 1250 per month.
€195 million to [be] spent on transition and other affairs.
By not undertaking action, I will rate Zapatero's government as incompetent as the previous 25+ years of post-Franco government that kept on stimulating unprofitable mining.
Just like his finance minister Solbes saying in January 2006 that the real-estate development economic model was unsustainable and the boom years needed to be used to lay the groundwork for a change in model. 3 years later he left the government and the change of economic model is beginning to be talked about.
The same level of incompetence as Blair's government which came to power in 1997 and was caught by surprise when Scotland's North-sea gas production peaked. You would have thought 5-year projections should be the bread and butter of government. And you would be wrong. En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
came to power in 1997 and was caught by surprise when Scotland's North-sea gas production peaked
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
