Germans lament the loss of many fine old buildings. A project by an architect from West Germany. There is a new spirit in this town, that you see everywhere. Now Kahla has a complete computer network. As you can imagine, the people in East Germany are thrilled to be getting the basics, like sanitation, efficient heating systems, telephones, good roads and rail service, all the things that will make their cities part of modern Europe.
German workers are among the best paid in the world.
At Christmas, there is a 13th month salary bonus. In a labor negotiation there are elaborate mechanisms for re-negotiating. Seldom does it come to strikes, but if they do occur, the union usually wins. Unions do not back off. They also have co-determination, a kind of shared governance in their plants, that involves worker input in all of the decisions effecting the business except investment, hiring and firing.