The American car company General Motors have today announced a cut in their workforce at their plant in Detroit. Our economics correspondent Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan is there at the moment. Peter, what's going on?
Chris, it's a mass redundancy measure. It's the biggest lay-off in American industrial history. Thirty-five thousand jobs in one fell swoop, gone!
Thirty-five thousand?
Peter, there's only twenty-five thousand people at the plant.
That's right, Chris, mass redundancy on an unprecedented scale!
Well, would you mind telling me how the plant can function on minus ten-thousand workers?
[grinning] I don't know, Chris, you tell me!
I'll tell you what, Peter, you mean thirty-five hundred workers have been sacked.
...No. Thirty-five thousand, it's all here. [checks notes]
Let me see what you've got down there.
It's thirty-five hundred, you're right. I've made a mistake.
Peter, I want to s- I want to see it. I don't want to hear anything more out of your mouth, I don't believe it. Now show me your notes.
Yes!
It's thirty-five hundred.
Show me, I don't believe what you're saying, I just want to see the numbers. Now hold them up! [he holds them up briefly] Hold them up and keep them up! [he does so] And rotate them a hundred and eighty degrees in my favour! [as he does] Do it... Peter, what's that? [taps the monitor]
I don't have the monitor, Chris. I can't see what you're doing.
You know what I'm talking about, it's just above your right eye. [Peter points at a doodle] Yes.
A cobweb.
And how's a cobweb going to dig you out of your numerical mess?
I don't know.
Peter, you're lying in a news grave. Do you know what's written on your headstone?
"News?"
Peter, thank you.
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