The man who sold out the Working Classes
The second phase of the assault on the Working Classes has begun.
Whilst the first paragraph reads like a Communist Manifesto is not, slightly Socialist maybe, particularly political, it is just a fact. Having been softened in the media to expect that ‘no fault dismissals’ was on the cards for this Parliament, which could come later of course, we have been given the sop that workers rights to Tribunals and Redundancies are to be curtailed. I appreciate that in some countries our rights seem like a paradise, but to coin an American concept, we have a social contract with the State that goes back to the settlement after the Second World War.
Regressing workers to the 80’s – and as pointed out Cameron’s version of the 80’s is the 1880’s – does not solve the economic crisis and the double dip recession that this Government has managed to get us in, of coure a severe recession is very good cover to make unpopular ideological changes. Put very simply the changes to employment laws alter the Supply Side whilst the problem is on the Demand Side of the economy. The Government readily admits that big problem we face is DEMAND not an inherent problem with the labour laws.
The ConDems have produced the first double dip recession since the 1970, have produced the longest recession since the The Great Depression, and after nearly three years in Government they still have an economy 4.3% smaller than the economy was in 2008 – this is not because it’s difficult to sack people, it is because of the Chancellor’s incompetence and a lack of demand. It is an easy problem, send George Osborne on a Maths course, he only managed an ‘O’ Level in Math!
The Government could be potentially damaging demand in the economy by introducing more uncertainty into the Labour market, or at more uncertainty then there was before. Put simply the Government is making it easier for the employers to sack people, with a maximum pay out of one years salary.
This introduces another factor, basically creating a Bully’s Charter whereby an employee will be forced to tolerate bullying for fear of losing their job, whilst the proposals are not ‘no fault dismissal’ where an employer can just sack someone because they feel like it, it is coming.
Taking one example, Germany, the powerhouse of Europe, it has a growing economy in the midst of a downturn in the European recession, though only the UK, Spain, and Greece have managed a double-dip recession, and it has some of the most generous Labour and Health and Safety Laws in Europe, though it has no minimum wage and it does have micro jobs which I am not too happy about. Germany is not tinkering around workers rights, it is investing in its workforce and management and the workforce actually co-operate. Germany, and I am sure many other European countries, is not suffering because it can’t sack its employees on a whim, but succeeding because it sees the workforce as an investment.
Of course the Government has to decide if it wants to sell the British economy to lowest bidder for a sweatshop economy, or if it wants an economy that produces quality and is productive.
I will repeat again that this Government has no mandate to make fundamental changes to the social fabric of this country – even though they are destroying it.
A few months after this Government came to power The Guardian wrote about the Tory ideal based roughly on the social and economic framework of Downton Abbey … let me see Arrogant Post Eton boys in charge – check Tory Toffs – check millionaires out of touch with the working classes – check – Workers in fear of their jobs – check – Maggie Smith in charge – we have a Thatcher, will that do?
The creator of Downton Abbey is a Tory MP, theres a surprise.
Today the news will about Kate’s Middleton’s boobs – bread and circuses.
