Germans: become a hooker or we'll cut your unemployment

**wizardPC** · 01-31-2005, 09:39 PM

I cannot make this **** up

http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/n...0/ixworld.html

Love the part where "legal" and "moral" somehow mean the same thing

**nottastocker** · 01-31-2005, 09:50 PM

dude, how do you find this ****?
that is both awesome and horrible
awesome cause of the 'whoa' factor, horrible because, well, because

when a job becomes that personal, she shouldnt be forced
but hell, now i know of a reason that i would want to go to germany for....

**wizardPC** · 01-31-2005, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by nottastocker

dude, how do you find this ****?

hours of boredom at work

**xBrady** · 01-31-2005, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by wizardPC

hours of boredom at work

Good use of time. I usually work on my resume so I can apply for a different job at a different company. That or play one of the many games at addictinggames.com

**Skipjacks** · 01-31-2005, 10:19 PM

My favorite part was how it'd be too hard for the government to define the difference between a bar and a brothel.

I want to know what goes on at the bars over there that there'd be such a fuzzy line.

**wizardPC** · 01-31-2005, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by Skipjacks

My favorite part was how it'd be too hard for the government to define the difference between a bar and a brothel.

I want to know what goes on at the bars over there that there'd be such a fuzzy line.

you been reading my blog?

**carpcnoobie** · 02-01-2005, 03:26 AM

Thanks for the interesting article. I'm going to look into this a bit further.

Everything that the article says is, according to the law, correct. The prostitution has been made legal here. Prostitutes do pay taxes, have health insurance benefits, have retirement plans, and can even sue a 'customer' if they fail to pay for services rendered.

Germany also had laws prohibiting work in jobs that are against human dignity. I know at one time, it was against the law to work as a shoe shiner for this very reason. Yet, with the unemployment reforms, this level of dignity has been lowered because many people were saying that certain available jobs were beneath them. For example, a person with an academic degree wouldn't have to clean the streets because it is a job far beyond their academic status.

Still, with the laws in place and being very familiar with the unemployment problem here (last time I looked, it was upwards of 11%) I find a lot of flaws with this practice. Let me list a few.

Sexual discrimination - So far, I've only heard of the women having to do this job, no mention of men being subject to the same thing. I can see this hitting a serious snag when going before the Supreme Court.

Religious objections - There are three major religions (although most Germans will say only two) in Germany. Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim. I know with all three religions, there clear objections to sex out of wedlock, sex for profit and/or adultery.

Against German law - It is against the law here to force someone to perform any sexual act for a job. But, this is not 'forcing' it is the denial of social benefits.

Now, as far as I can see, this has NOT actually happened so far. Nobody has actually gone before a court and lost their unemployment benefits yet. It is possible that there are women who have taken these jobs for these reasons and simply haven't contested the legitimacy.

If it does go to court, and is found to be against the law then there's a good chance that future cases in lower courts will be dismissed on similar grounds.

Very good find. I'll do more digging when I can.