The drawback of the short-time working scheme is that it prevents a broader economic restructuring.

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It makes a contribution to both the wages and training costs of staff already on short-time working.

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Bosses said they had organised the short-time working to get past the recession and that it was still committed to the city.

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In recent years, few solicitors' firms have avoided redundancies or moving staff to short-time working, while others have closed or merged, and Law Society of Scotland chief executive Lorna Jack warned the hard times were continuing.

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However, he points out that this time, manufacturing companies and workers are seeking short-term working and pay freeze agreements in order to retain skilled workers, in contrast to the mass layoffs in the 1980s.

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Kish, an island off the Iranian coast, is a popular destination for so-called visa runs - leaving the country you are working in, for a short time, so you can get a new visa on return.

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