Anti-Vodaphone posters/Plakate gegen Vodaphone

This appeared outside my building a couple of days ago (click to enlarge):

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This woman is crying because her local community meeting place (whatever that is) has closed down, and all because Vodaphone is trying to reduce its tax bill.

And this appeared round the corner:

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It’s raining into this poor child’s classroom. No wonder the Germans are worried about school results.

Here’s the source of the campaign (in German), with other materials for the campaign. Of course, 20 billion is a lot of euros, but I thought companies had a duty to try to reduce their outgoings. I’m also not clear about the direct effect on schools and local community projects funded by the city. I suppose if Vodaphone collapsed and jobs were lost they would complain too. And I wish it was raining here so I could concentrate on my work!

5 thoughts on “Anti-Vodaphone posters/Plakate gegen Vodaphone

  1. “I thought companies had a duty to try to reduce their outgoings”

    Well, they have that duty, as part of the duty to maximise profits, towards
    their shareholders. But they also have a wider social duty, to give back
    something to the society which enables them to make their money. I rather
    like the fact that this idea is in the air in Germany, and is implemented
    in various ways, however small. Makes it a nicer place to live in.

  2. Maybe you sense more of that up in Hamburg?
    I take your point, of course, some days. And some days I just think of how much tax I’m paying myself.

  3. Actually, the sods in power up here are attempting to flog everything
    off as fast as possible to the private sector, no doubt lining their own
    and their friends’ pockets well in the process! BUT… the sense I get
    *generally* in Germany is that people in general, and companies, have
    more sense of the collective interest, unlike England or Ireland say,
    where it seems to be much more “fuck you Jack, I’m alright”.

    Taxes, well, yes… but sure they’d no doubt take the money off you
    anyway; so, better that they spend it “socially” than on some of the
    likely alternatives — killing people in various regions of the Empire,
    for instance.

  4. I’ve had mixed and limited experiences – you may well be right about the collective interest though.

    Taxes plus health insurance do hit single people in Germany harder than married ones, so they jolly well should be doing something with it. Yes, I’m glad they aren’t spending it on wars, although I’m not sure of their motives for this!

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