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British jobs for British workers - Green jobs for Green workers?

@ | 04.02.2009 23:10 | Globalisation | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements

Recession combined with globalization and the weakening of Labour laws in Europe, is providing some employers with the incentive and the means to minimize their wage costs and weaken the bargaining power of organised workers. Recently this has taken the form of subcontracting out work to firms employing workers from abroad which is being opposed by industrial action under the slogan "British jobs for British workers".

This is just the sort of situation that could be exploited by the far right and unions and politicians sharing their aims should be pushing for the restoration of nationally binding wage agreements and re-empahsising their anti-racist and internationalist policies.

British unions should follow the example of their French comrades and take united action
against the way that workers are being made to pay for a crisis which is not of their making and campaign for a concerted program aimed at constructing a ecologically sound infrastructure for a new economic and social order.

@

Comments

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fat chance

05.02.2009 00:19

unions so often seem only capable of looking backwards rather than dealing with major new issues like climate change and recognising the serious need to reskill. look how scargill is actually wanting more deep coal to be dug and look at how unions supported and encouraged the heathrow third runway. utterly indefensible and shameful. they will still be clinging onto their traditional jobs when the waves wash over the runway.

thatcher

Main British Union leaders=Fat cats themselves

05.02.2009 01:07

I would want to know what those Unions would say if demonstrations start in countries where British people are working and tell them to go home.

They would surely stand by the British workers abroad too while calling for foreign workers to leave the country in the UK.

Quite clear to me that the big Unions simply want to be populist and will side with what is fashionable at the moment so they can get reelected on their fat cat positions and wages

. i.e some Union officials are on well +50.000 a year!

Tumiscu

Unions

05.02.2009 09:55

As far as I can see, the main things unions bother with these days is how to get cheap holiday flights and insurance if you sign up to them.

CW