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The economy and everyday life

38 important questions on The economy and everyday life

Explain what blue-collar and white-collar workers are

Blue collar workers are people who do skilled manual work such as technicians, white-collar workers work in offices working mostly with their heads and computers.

What is a job centre? Dutch equivalent?

It is a place where you can look for a job. It is run as a government service. The Dutch equivalent is : het UWV

Read the context of this quotation from page 141:
‘………………certain organizations of professional workers, such as the National Union of Teachers (NUT), have never belonged to the Trades Union Congress’. What are professional workers?

This means workers who do allot of difficult tasks and have a bachelor degree like teachers. But professional workers can also be people who have been in the field for a long time and have experience similar to a bachelor’s degree.

What is a job centre? Dutch equivalent?

its the Dutch arbeidsbureau, where you must register to receive welfare, you can also look for jobs there

What was Thatcherism and what economic changes were influenced by Thatcherism? (state companies, local government services, distribution of wealth, income tax).

Thatcherism describes the conviction politics economic, social policy and political style of the British Conservative Party politician Magret Thatcher, who was leader of her party from 1975 to 1990. Thatcherism attempts to promote low inflation, the small state, and free markets through tight control of the money supply, privatisation and constraints on the labour movement.

What is the task of the Equal Opportunities Commission

They help to enforce the law against sex discrimination in employment. You can turn to them if you have a complaint at them

What is industrial action

Industrial action or job action refers collectively to any measure take by trade unions or other organised labour meant to reduce productivity in a workplace. Quite often it is used and interpreted as a euphemism for a strike or mass strike but the scope is much wider. Industrial action may take place in the context of a labour dispute or may be meant to effect political or social change. Specifically industrial action may include one or more of the following: Strike, occupation of factories, shut down, overtime ban.

What is a political levy

It is a small part of the union membership subscription that union members pay to the party their union belongs to. (in many cases this is the Labour Party).

What nation works the longest hours in Europe?

Great Britain, they have few holidays and often work late

How do the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) relate to each other?

The CBI is the body that represents the employers, the employees are represented by the TUC an organization in which various trade unions are associated. The unions in the UK are mostly connected with different trades.

What is high street bank

It’s a term orginating in the U.K. to refer to large retail banks which have many branch locations. The term is meant to indicate that these banks are major, widespread institutions, such as those that would be found in the main commercial sector of a town or a city. High street is roughly synonymous to the American term Main Street

When where the unions powerfull and when did they start to lose it.

before the eighties they had much power but Thatcher put an end to that power with certain restrictions

Who is Arthur Scargill

He was the union leader of the e miners in 1984 during the great mine strike. He refused to following the new rules Thatcher had imposed. He still famous for it.

What are Oftel and Ofwat examples of?

They are examples of government bodies set up to regulate water and telecommunication companies in England and Wales to protect the interests of their consumers. They are so called 'watchdog organisations' with regulatory powers over the sector they monitor.

What is a 'closed shop'

It was an example of the power of the unions, by which employers had agreed to hire only people who belonged to a union.

What is shop steward

A shop steward is an employee of an organisation or company who represents and defends the interests of her/his felow employees but who is also a labour union member. Rank-and-file members of the union hold this position voluntarily. While maintaining their role as an employee of the firn

What is the square mile

Another name for Londen because it’s 1.12 sq mile (2.90 km2)

What is high street shops

High Street is a metonym for the concept of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations. In a town it implies the focal point for business, especially shops and street stalls in town and city centres.

What are Offtel and OffWat examples of

Those are wachtdogs, organisations, created to monitor the private service companies. They check if the ompanies treat their customers right. Offtel monitors the telcom companies and OffWat monitors the privatized water companies.

What is H.M. Revenue + Customs

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is a non-ministerial department of the UK Government responsible for the collection of taxes, the payment of some forms of state support, and the administration of other regulatory regimes including the national minimum wage.

What is a ‘closed shop'

When an employer had agreed to hire only people who belonged to a union, his company was a closed shop. This rule was abolished in the eighties by Thatcher.

What is the nearest English equivalent of UWV

Jobcentre Plus, Universal Jobmatch

What is meant by 'the old lady of Threadneedle Street'?

It is the nickname of the bank of England, the institution which controles the supply of money in Britain and which decides on the official interest rate.

What is the nearest English equivalent of FNV/CNV

It’s called a trade union, most trade unions are independent of any employer

What is the nearest English equivalent of BTW

Value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST).

Explain what articles are sold in a typical 'corner shop'. What about the origin of many owners?

The corner shop is a shop by itself in a residential area. They sell various kinds of food, but they are not general grocers. Their main business is newspapers, magazines, sweets and tobacco products. It is also from them that most 'paper rounds' are organised. Many owners of these shops are Asians.

What is the Inland Revenue responsible for

IRS: That's the Government organization responsable for collecting taxes. (de belastingdienst)

What is PAYE? And VAT? Dutch equivalents

paye: pay as you earn: your income tax is deducted from your pay cheque before you receive it. (Loonheffing) VAT: value added tax; the tax added to the price of something you buy. BTW

Mention the names of some well-known supermarket chains and departement stores.

Well-known supermarket chains are: Sainsbury's , Tesco, Waitrose. Well-known department stores: Marks & Spencer, Woolworths. Well-known chemists: Boots and Superdrug. W.H. Smith is a large newsagent.

What is the nearest English equivalent of uitzendbureau

An Employment agency

What is the nearest English equivalent of VNO (werkgeversorganisatie)

The Confederation of British Industry

What is the nearest English equivalent of Albert Heijn

Sainsbury, tesco, morrisons, asda

Name the big four high street banks

Bank of Scoland, Loyds, Barclays,

What is the nearest English equivalent of HEMA

M&S and of course HEMA

Explain what articles are sold in a typical ‘corner shop’. What about the origin of many owners?

The corner shop often sells various kinds of food and mostly tobacco products, magazines, papers and sweets. Today their owners are mostly Asian who gave these shops a second life by staying open very late.

What is the wealth gap

that is the gap between the rich and the poor. During the conservative reign the rich have become richer and the poor have not; the number of people who are average is decreasing. the distribution of wealth used to be very fair in UK but now it has one of the most inequitable in the EU.

Why is the UK still popular with big ivestors

This mainly because Britain has a conservative, trustworthy reputation and they are also known for their stability and discretion. It can be found in the City.

What is the British currency

a Pound (= 100 pence) ;

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Britain - for Learners of English | 9780194306447 | James O'Driscoll

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The economy and everyday life

38 important questions on The economy and everyday life

Explain what blue-collar and white-collar workers are

What is a job centre? Dutch equivalent?

Read the context of this quotation from page 141:‘………………certain organizations of professional workers, such as the National Union of Teachers (NUT), have never belonged to the Trades Union Congress’. What are professional workers?

What is a job centre? Dutch equivalent?

What was Thatcherism and what economic changes were influenced by Thatcherism? (state companies, local government services, distribution of wealth, income tax).

What is the task of the Equal Opportunities Commission

What is industrial action

What is a political levy

What nation works the longest hours in Europe?

How do the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) relate to each other?

What is high street bank

When where the unions powerfull and when did they start to lose it.

Who is Arthur Scargill

What are Oftel and Ofwat examples of?

What is a 'closed shop'

What is shop steward

What is the square mile

What is high street shops

What are Offtel and OffWat examples of

What is H.M. Revenue + Customs

What is a ‘closed shop'

What is the nearest English equivalent of UWV

What is meant by 'the old lady of Threadneedle Street'?

What is the nearest English equivalent of FNV/CNV

What is the nearest English equivalent of BTW

Explain what articles are sold in a typical 'corner shop'. What about the origin of many owners?

What is the Inland Revenue responsible for

What is PAYE? And VAT? Dutch equivalents

Mention the names of some well-known supermarket chains and departement stores.

What is the nearest English equivalent of uitzendbureau

What is the nearest English equivalent of VNO (werkgeversorganisatie)

What is the nearest English equivalent of Albert Heijn

Name the big four high street banks

What is the nearest English equivalent of HEMA

Explain what articles are sold in a typical ‘corner shop’. What about the origin of many owners?

What is the wealth gap

Why is the UK still popular with big ivestors

What is the British currency

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Read the context of this quotation from page 141:
‘………………certain organizations of professional workers, such as the National Union of Teachers (NUT), have never belonged to the Trades Union Congress’. What are professional workers?