European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 15, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday september 15, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 19 in these Days of the wilting Greenback it s a Luck military person whose spouse or offspring is out there working for other than the Yankee Dollar. That s particularly True in Germany where a Job for local firm pulls in not Only Marks but often social Ben Nies too for example Kinder Geld children s Money. That s a Check from the government paid for every Chi Din a family. At one time the nato status of forces agreement sofa supplementary agreement pertaining to Ger Many precluded this Kinder Geld payment to members of the . Military its civilian components or dependents. That was modified however by a court decision. According to Trutz Orthmann German Legal adviser at Usa eur s Legal assistance division the court Felt that the sofa agreement should t in any Way be interpreted to Worsen personal finances or inflict financial punishment. It might Well have been judged As doing jus that in some cases. For example under the old interpretation if a German woman with children married an american the Kinder Geld she d previously collected As a matter of course was automatically Cut off. Kinder Geld in t based on income or financial need. It s a Bonus paid for every child under 18 years and in som cases students handicapped Etc. Up to 27 years. A family or single Parent of one child receives 50marks a month. If there Are two children that increases to 130 Marks 50 for the first and 80 for the third or More child in a family is Given 150 Marks. This Means that a family with say six children would receive 750 Marks a month a rather Nice Little income addition. The Money is paid for German children whether the parents Are employed or not. American parents however Only Are eligible to receive it for their Chil Dren if at least one of them pays German taxes that is works More than 20 hours a week for a i German business. No German taxes need be paid for wages based on less than a 20-hour work receive the Money the Parent should apply at the i local Arbee Tsam employment office. Unfortunately getting a Job that pays in german1 Marks is not All that easy. German citizens and members of other common Market countries Are generally Given preference and language fluency is necessary for most jobs above the Blue Collar level. If you Are determined however to give the German ii Job Market a try you might get started by contacting the Zentry Alstella fur Central office for j employment42 Fuerbach Strasse 6000 Frankfurt am main Telephone 0611-71111. German newspapers also carry help wanted and Job wanted ads. Besides the smaller local papers Check out die Welt 2000 Hamburg Frankfurter Al Ige Meine Zeitung 6000 Frankfurt am main and these Deutsche Zeitung 80 Sendlinger Strasse 8000 Munich 2. An american who is not a member of the military or it components and therefore not entitled to a status of forces passport stamp must obtain a residence permit after three months in the country or having accepted employment. Applications Are made at the Auslyn dreamt Aliene of the police department in larger communities or the landsat same District office in smaller resident permit Only entitles a person to live in Germany not to work in the country. Upon employment an Arbeiter Lauznis work permit should be applied Forat the local Arbee Tsam or employment office. Though the German tax bite on wages is High about 13rcent, according to Orthmann paying the tax entitles a person and his or her dependents to free medical care and hospitalization and unemployment compensation. Unemployment compensation Arbeitel osenfeldis1 not a welfare Benefit it s insurance that the person has been buying while working. Orthmann Points out that three percent of a person income goes into this fund. Amounts of compensation and times in which it can be collected Are subject to at last count a person who has lost his or her Job can collect for from four to six weeks after having worked for i three months eight weeks after six months a half year after one year and a year after two years. The amount of compensation generally is based on the person s last month s earnings about 68percent of the net income after taxes and social Security unless those earnings were far out of Lin with those of previous months. Though Germany does not have a minimum wage Sal modern living German Kinder they re Geld in parents pockets. Aries for most jobs Are set by tariffs agreed to betwee the various Trade unions and types of businesses. Failing a Job paying in Marks the salary seeker May turn to employment by the . Forces or private Ameri can companies generally with greater Luck. Take note though Many american private businesses operating in Germany that Deal with the american military Don make Germany wage Tariff agreements. Frequently they also do not pay the . Minimum wage of $2.65 an hour though they take . Payroll deductions and pay in tax payment by the Way is not required by holders of passports with status of forces Stamps. Where to look for . Jobs a list of such firms in Ger Many can be found in directory of american business in Germany publisher Seibt Verag Munich available Inmany libraries. . Government Job information can be obtained a local civilian personnel offices. American teachers who wish to work in the . School system overseas should write to the director of dependent s education Washington . 20301 or the Directo rate . Dependents schools european area Smiley Barracks 7500 Karlsruhe Germany. Nurses can address letters to Headquarters . Army Europe attention surgeon general 6900 Heidelberg. Bernina sewing machine company is warning owners of models manufactured from 1969 to 1976 of potential problems with Type 213 foot pedals. The pedals May overheat and be a fire Hazard. To Correct the problem the company is offering thermally activated switch in an easy to install kit that will reduce any Chance of overheating. The kit is Avail Able free from any Bernina retailer. If you wish the re Tailer will install it to find the identifying number Check the Bottom of the foot pedal. Type 213 pedals stamped with a Blue t Al ready contain the Thermal switch and pose no problem. Another product recall involves Coffee making machines which May contain defective Thermo stats that could cause overheating and possibly distributor of Braun Aromas Ter coffe emasters Braun North american has begun the recall of 9,300 of these potentially hazardous machines. The problem with the Coffee makers was discovered while testing Accord ing to Donald Gourley the firm s managing admin Stra got a very Small number returned but in testing them we realized the potential problem did the recalled products will be screened and adjusted if necessary. 9 9 one of Germany s Large department stores Nowise offering a free mail order Catalon in English plus a credit plan for members of the . Military. To obtain the Catalon which spells out the credit plan write to Quelle International Abt. 951, 8510 Furth 500. � with the Greenback wilting in comparison wit the Mark it generally does t pay to shop in German stores. Sometimes though it can t be avoided. Then nowhere your Money will go the farthest. The ver Braucher zen Trale Hessen . Consumers Central of Hessen has done a study of Brand name products that shows astounding Price differences in different stores for exactly the same items. For example a Survey of 10 stores showed a 66 per cent difference bet Een the lowest and highest prices of a Kodak Elk 2 instant picture camera. Lowest Price was 59marks. Highest was 98 Marks. Another example a 60 percent difference Between the Price asked for an Ageva Myrette 1000 s vacuum cleaner. Lowest Price was 79.80 Marks highest was 128 Marks. The Price comparison Survey also included washing machines color tvs compact Stero systems and single reflex cameras. Though you May not be in the Market for such products if you Are intending to buy a Large item in a German store head to the nearest information office of the local . Such offices relocated in most German cities. You can find them in the local Telephone Book under con Sumer advice. If you Are in the Market for a particular appliance say a vacuum cleaner they will recommend Model that will fit your needs As to Power extras Price Range Etc. They will Tell you which local stores carry it and which store offers the Best Price. All this is done free and generally someone in the office will speak English. Sharp or As you May have it sneaky marketing practices Are International. The same German Consumers organization mentioned above has done a Survey of its country s supermarkets and found psychology is being widely used to up profits. Since eyes right is the general practice higher priced items Are placed on the right Side of the aisles and at Eye level. Customers Are advised therefore to Bend Down and take a close Gander at the products stashed on the left Side of the grocery aisles. They May find Good buys there As Clever supermarket operators use the Eye level right aisle spot to move higher priced or slower Selling items. The shopper also is warned not to shop on an empty stomach he s liable to end up with twice what he d planned on buying and not to be a sucker for those next to the Cash Register displays of gum and other Little nonessential goodies. If you Are a Kitchen Gadget Freak and there Are a lot of us around writes a wife of an e-5, you May be interested in the Cooks catalogue which features More than 4,000 items of Kitchen equipment and utensils plus recipes cooking folklore and if you Aren t interested in ordering it s a great idea Book giving you a Good look at what s on the marketing the . And the Catalon order it through Avon books the hears publishing corporation 959 eighth ave., new York . 10019 was edited by Cookbook author and gourmet chef James Beard plus Milton Glaser Burton Wolf Barbara poses Kafka Helen witty and associates of the goo cooking school. Many items clearly marked can be ordered by Mai using an included form. Besides Little gadgets such As Pepper Mills and pestles the Catalon lists brioche and Bourg Vignonne pans espresso makers cutting boards you name it
