中國網(wǎng)站品牌欄目（頻道）
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 Back to work: Germany are encouraging mothers to head back to the office. |
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The EU wants Europe's biggest economy to avoid looming labour shortages in future by dismantling barriers to women entering the workforce. 'Germany must better integrate women into the labour market," said the EU Commission, in a report on the German economy. 'Germany, but also Austria and the Netherlands, should look at the example of the northern countries,” said President José Manuel Barroso, in a reference to Scandinavia. 'That means removing obstacles for women, older workers, foreigners and low-skilled job-seekers to get into the workforce. Excessive early retirement regulations need to be abolished.' The Commission recommends that Germany take steps such as creating more child care places and reducing income tax for dual earners. Taxing couples separately instead of as a pair could encourage more part-time, second-income earners to take up full-time work. Just 2.2 percent of leadership positions at Germany's top 100 companies are held by women, according to a survey by the German Institute for Economic Research. But the conservative led coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel baulked earlier this year at legislation to even things up. The EU's concerns about Germany come even though the country has embarked on a back-to-works scheme for women that the media has dubbed 'Operation Mama.' To sustain both the economy and Germany's lavish welfare state, an action plan to call in mothers who have not worked before is on the table - along with plans to subsidise IVF treatment for childless couples. Engineering, nursing, IT specialists, care-workers and semi-skilled workers are among those most needed according to a white paper prepared for Chancellor Merkel by eight ministries last month. By turning inwards for help from its own population, Germany is effectively sending a signal to workers from eastern EU countries - allowed to work in Germany since 1 May this year after a German restrictions were lifted - that it would rather give jobs to Germans. 'Operation Mama,' as it has become known, is aimed first at close to 500,000 mothers with children aged between six and 16. Studies show they are eager to become workers if some practical child-care programme were in place. (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
為避免在不久的未來出現(xiàn)勞動力短缺，歐盟希望歐洲經(jīng)濟(jì)大國排除女性就業(yè)障礙，讓女性加入勞動大軍。 歐盟委員會在一份針對德國經(jīng)濟(jì)的報告中說：“德國應(yīng)該更好地讓女性融入勞動力市場?！?/p> 歐盟主席若澤?曼努埃爾?巴羅佐提到北歐時說：“德國、奧地利還有荷蘭應(yīng)該以北歐國家為典范?！?/p> “也就是要排除女性、老年工作者、外國人和低技能求職者的就業(yè)障礙。過早退休的規(guī)定需要被廢除?！?/p> 歐盟委員會建議德國采取措施，建造更多的托兒所，降低雙職工家庭的收入所得稅。 對夫婦單獨(dú)而不是一起征稅可以鼓勵更多兼職或第二收入工作者去做全職工作。 根據(jù)德國經(jīng)濟(jì)研究所的一項調(diào)查，德國100強(qiáng)公司中只有2.2%的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)職位是由女性擔(dān)任的。不過，保守黨派安格拉?默克爾總理領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的聯(lián)合政府今年早些時候通過立法進(jìn)行干預(yù)，讓這一失衡狀況有所改觀。 盡管德國已經(jīng)啟動了女性回歸工作的方案，但是歐盟對德國還是有所擔(dān)憂。媒體將該方案戲稱為“媽媽行動”。 為了維持經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展和德國慷慨的福利制度，一項旨在召集不工作的媽媽們的計劃即將被提上議程，同時要提交討論的還有為不能生育的夫婦提供體外受精治療補(bǔ)助的計劃。 上個月德國八個政府部門為默克爾總理準(zhǔn)備的白皮書顯示，現(xiàn)在最緊缺的勞動力有工程師、護(hù)士、IT專家、護(hù)工和半熟練工人。 德國通過求助于國內(nèi)的人力，向東歐成員國的工人發(fā)出了有效的信號：德國更愿意雇傭本國勞動力。從今年5月1日起，在德國的一個限制令被撤銷后，將允許東歐成員國的工人在德國工作。 “媽媽行動”的首要對象是子女年齡在6歲到16歲之間的媽媽們，這一人群約有50萬。研究顯示，如果育兒計劃落實到位的話，這些媽媽們很愿意出來工作。 相關(guān)閱讀 調(diào)查：3/4法國人認(rèn)為女性生活質(zhì)量不及男性 （中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 陳丹妮 編輯：馮明惠） |
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Vocabulary: looming: (of an event regarded as ominous or threatening) seemingly about to happen（似乎即將發(fā)生的） dismantle: to end an organization or system gradually in an organized way （逐漸）廢除，取消 dual earners: 雙薪家庭，雙職工家庭。 baulk: to prevent somebody from getting something or doing something（阻止；阻礙） even something up: 使拉平；使相等；使平衡 embark on something: 從事，著手，開始（新的或艱難的事情） lavish: giving or doing something generously（慷慨的；大方的） on the table: (of a plan, suggestion, etc.) offered to people so that they can consider or discuss it（將計劃、建議等）提供考慮；提交討論 IVF: the abbreviation for 'in vitro fertilization' (a process which fertilizes an egg from a woman outside her body. The egg is then put inside her uterus to develop.) 體外受精（全寫為 in vitro fertilization，使卵子在母體外受精后再放回子宮內(nèi)發(fā)育） white paper: 白皮書 in place: in the correct position; ready for something（在正確位置；準(zhǔn)備妥當(dāng)） |
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