Let's get 'flexible.' Start by bending your knee.

George Osborne may have been booed by the crowd at the Paralympics, but Britain's economic performance has received a rare accolade from the Switzerland-based World Economic Forum, which says the UK is now the eighth most competitive country in the world.

The UK's flexible labour market – making it easier for firms to hire and fire workers – is singled out as a strength by the WEF, which says "the country improves its performance in several areas, benefiting from clear strengths such as the efficiency of its labour market, in sharp contrast to the rigidity of those of many other countries." (WEF Report 4 September.)

Next day Save the Children announced on its website
"Right now, in this country children are going to school hungry because they don't get a proper breakfast. They go through winter without a warm coat or a decent pair of shoes. Some even have to sleep on a damp mattress on the floor because they don't have their own bed. This is child poverty in the UK today. But together we can make sure children get a better deal. Support our work here at home and help us give every child in Britain a chance." (StC website 5 September.)

The same day the Troika that run Greece decided that it would be good if the Greeks were 'more flexible' too.
"Greece's international lenders have suggested measures that include increasing the working week to six days. The unofficial proposal is reportedly contained in a leaked document from the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank." (ABC News 5 September.)

It was explained by Stephanie Flanders, the BBC'c economic correspondent (BBC News 5 September) that this was just a step in the direction of greater labour flexibility. Greek workers could now 'choose' to work 6 days a week. (Greeks already work, on average, 2000 hours a year compared with the 1400 that German employees work. All Greek employees - including part time - work an average of 42.2 hours a week. The EU average is 37.4 and Germans work 35.6 hours.) (Guardian December 2011.)

But after all, Greek people only have to look at the UK to see the benefits of further bending the knee.