Germany once admired British workmanship – but that was a long time ago: Guardian

CLAPTON

I'm not taking sides here
but in the late 70s and 80s british gas was converting to North Sea gas and building a high pressure pipeline so buying massive amounts of steel pipeline

of course it waw then a nationalised industry although it was then privatised

the steel pipes for the pipeline had to be bought from British Steel; so BG bought everything twice, foreign stuff to actually use and British stuff to lie in a field rotting

it didn't save the steel industry

chewmylegoff

adouglasmhor wrote: »

I am pretty sure the Siemens comms, observation and targeting kit used by the British forces is not Bosch stuff with a label stuck on it. But hey a washing machine repair man is bound to be an expert on global multinationals and their output.

probably more likely to know about it that some keyboard warrior from the internet.

adouglasmhor

Generali wrote: »

Once again, thank you for taking the time to lower yourself to appear on this board as you seem to be so contemptuous of so many posters here.

I don't really see how a bunch of workers 'taking the pish' can produce such a wonderful product. It doesn't add up to me.did I say they were all taking the pish, i said the place was full of them - not quite the same thing

I suspect like so much of British industry, it had become used to being subsidised by taxpayers and produced a sub-standard, overpriced product that could only be sold to captive or lazy buyers.

Because it was used as a massive job creation scheme (as you say we were paying for it through taxes), you had a heavily automated process with a few skilled men supervising it and some specialists (crane operators, oilers etc.), and a vast pool of excessive labour basically wasting money had over fist wandering about doing a couple of hours of menial work a day. I don’t know how the product being produced is affected by people who never touch it nor the systems producing it, does magic exist on your planet or something?

I know an electrician from the Craig who was know as “single wire” as if there was more than one wire involved he would pass the job on.

I know of a major contractor who charged to sonic clean the coolant and lube filters for the site and used British Steels own equipment* and power to do it and ordered consumables through BS’s own supply chain.

*That they had installed years before and forgotten about as they had had no one qualified to use it at the time.

adouglasmhor

chewmylegoff wrote: »

probably more likely to know about it that some keyboard warrior from the internet.

Well that rules you out then. Your guy was so good at his job he cut his hand doing it, that says incompetence to me.

janealb

Marine_life wrote: »

I moved to Germany 12 years ago and will never come back.

For me the difference between Germany and the UK has nothing to do with ability - it has to do with a fundamental national belief that German is best. In many ways it is and in many ways it isn't but irrespective it is that national confidence which is important.

By contrast the British constantly criticise and seek blame. Pick up the Telegraph or any "decent" paper any day. where is the celebration of things British? No. Lets blame the politicians. Lets blame the housing bubble. Lets blame the bankers. Lets blame somebody.

Of course I am generalising but that's my impression.

I do believe that as well. In the end it all comes down to how well you can also sell whatever it is that you are doing. If you're constantly bringing criticism then everybody will end up thinking you're no good.
Germans have never done that and, though I don't think that's the only thinkg that helped them power through, I do believe it made somewhat of a difference.

janealb

Thanks again for this info. Everybody came with a personal opinion but I think some facts were also required here

chewmylegoff

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Well that rules you out then. Your guy was so good at his job he cut his hand doing it, that says incompetence to me.

excellent, i shall come to you to get my washing machine fixed in the future. no doubt you can unleash some pathetic vitriol on it and have it back in working order straight away.

Kennyboy66

kabayiri wrote: »

To be an engineer at certain times in the last few decades was to be a social pariah!

In the late 80s I went out in London with an old school mate who was a newly qualified barrister. He intro'd me to 3 girls training to be solicitors. When they asked what I did I just said an engineer working in high tech manufacture.

It might have been my accent because I think they heard "I work in a leper colony", judging by the sense of disgust on their faces!

Unless you are 'in the city', a barrister, a medical consultant or perhaps lecturer, people will turn their nose up at you.

A thinly disguised "failed to get my leg over that night" story.

ruggedtoast

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Oh dear, you are a sad ignorant and angry little person.
To be expected from someone who believes that because a person can fix a washing machine they are highly qualified to comment on the business model of a large multinational company, Just like because I know more about the company than your clumsy mumbling handyman doesn't mean I am qualified to fix your machine. And if you don’t want opinions from people on the internet what are you doing posting on a forum?

Just because you only know the name from domestic appliances doesn’t mean that is all they make or even that that is their core business.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Siemens_products

The tone and style of your posts is ungentlemanly and somewhat boorish.

I am sorry to say this but if you communicate in such a manner people will not take you seriously, either in your personal life, or your professional one.

adouglasmhor

ruggedtoast wrote: »

The tone and style of your posts is ungentlemanly and somewhat boorish.

I am sorry to say this but if you communicate in such a manner people will not take you seriously, either in your personal life, or your professional one.

As opposed to one poster who either just made stuff up or repeated made up stuff they heard from a repair man - which apparently made them an expert (only they were wrong as anyone capable of using Google could find out in about 20 seconds – Bosch Siemens home appliances is a joint venture between the two companies which has been going since the late 60s), and another who took something I posted off at a tangent to have a go, even though the context was obvious from the post I replied too and quoted.

Sorry if it puts you out but they are both grown ups and I am sure they will get over it. I suppose calling me a keyboard warrior or saying something I posted was meaningless was fine too?