Sorry Mark, but perhaps I was too vague when I said I would try to negotiate a redundancy. By that I meant that I would politely ask that they fire me on a neutral ground (eg. restructure). I cannot afford to resign on my own.

Basically, I can speak the language well enough, but written is still very scratchy. This new guy is suddenly demanding everything in DE overnight. And with the mandatory revision of departmental procedures, record keeping, blah, blah, I cannot be anywhere near as productive at this stage as what I can (and have been) using English. Not to mention that my three senior employees also don't even speak much German at all. This guy refuses to pay for German courses, on the grounds that "we are paid enough that he can expect German". Funny, all his predecessors were paid well enough to speak/read English with no problem. Funny enough his argument was also that my job description is written in German. True, but nowhere in that job description does it demand I speak German!!!

Politics is certainly a factor, but I can't say to what extent. What I do know is I cannot win this one, the key now is an honourable departure. But you are right about the skilled worker thing...I mean, I would never try to tell the swiss how to make clocks, cheese or chocolate, they have hundreds of years of experience. But in this industry its all new to them but hey, they think they know it all.

Sorry Mark, you are right, I am a bit paranoid so I'll have to leave you guessing