BRITAIN has quite rightly come under fire this week over British jobs for British workers which breaks every European rule in the book. The fact that a group of British workers do not believe that their fellow Europeans should be able to work in Britain opens many cans of worms. I won´t say anymore in case the Spanish authorities decide that a Spaniard should be writing this column! But it is not only the British, you will be glad to hear.
The other day we carried a news story saying that a third of all those without a job in the Balearics were born outside Spain. In otherwords they are foreigners. Shock, horror. But you must remember that a third of the workforce in the Balearics is foreign and this figure is probably even higher in key industries such as construction and tourism. The fact that a sizeable number of foreigners are claiming unemployment benefit means that they have been in work and have paid social security so why shouldn´t they receive unemployment benefit. I know times are hard but they are hard for all. Remember that many of these foreigners came to the Balearics in the first place to do a job that Majorcans didn´t want to do (and probably still don´t want to do). Employment for all not just jobs for the lucky few.