Brian posted a comment here about Obama and the US trade unions. I also got an email from a US trade union colleague with the full speech made by President Obama here. Obama signed an executive order and said...
“I also believe that we have to reverse many of the policies towards organized labor that we've seen these last eight years, policies with which I've sharply disagreed.
I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem, to me its part of the solution. We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests, because we know that you cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement. We know that strong, vibrant, growing unions can exist side by side with strong, vibrant and growing businesses.
This isn't a either/or proposition between the interests of workers and the interests of shareholders. That's the old argument. The new argument is that the American economy is not and has never been a zero-sum game. When workers are prospering, they buy products that make businesses prosper. We can be competitive and lean and mean and still create a situation where workers are thriving in this country”.
Powerful stuff - I am now waiting patiently for Lord Mandelson to make similar announcements to the British people and for the Daily Mail to demand the return of the “closed shop” in the interests of British Business.
Seriously, the big issue is about balance – a level playing field for workers and unions. Things have been much, much tougher for US unions than British. But we still have a similar problem as in the States. Crudely put, management have too much power and unions not enough. Many executives, managers and HR (not all by any means of course) will use this discrepancy to exploit workers. It’s “what happens” in real life. I can accept that unions need to modernise and change as well.
But you actually end up with more conflict, more confrontation and more damaging mistrust and inequality in companies that do not recognise and value trade unions. In the long run (and even the short) this is bad for all businesses, bad for their bottom line and bad for the workforce.
We will always argue about what the balance should actually be – but the present arrangements are clearly still unfair and unequal.
Obama also appears to be suggesting that current crisis has been caused in part by this inequality (yep).
So the future of capitalism is dependent upon strong vibrant trade unions. Discuss?
7 comments:
Actually we don't want unelected Unions interfering in Government at all thanks.
Most union activists are pretty narrow minded. In another few months when Labour get relegated to the back benches this will no longer be an issue.
Good to see Jaqui Smith fiddling her expenses - what a great example to us all
We dont want 'unelected' big business fiddling with politics. This has been a feature of this government and the Tories in the past.
I agree anon2 ... but lets start by setting an example..leading the way...lets kick out the unelected Labour crony peers that have been selling amendments to legislation.. and if we want to lecture the banks on bonuses how about the Home Secretary playing a straight bat on her expenses. OK she's within the letter of the law but how about the spirit of the rules. Do we really think its normal that this socialist Minister should be claiming the expenses of the mortagage on her house whilst she stays at her sisters? 400K? What make me puke is that there is no money to fund children's hospices - children who are terminally ill but the money is apparently available to pay her mortgage? They are all in it for themselves. Labour is realy full of hypocrites - one rule for us and another for themselves
Labour have been "asleep at the wheel" over bonuses!
Unions have a legitimate role in modern society. They should be clebrated and preserved.They do an awful lot of good . They fight for us and will continue to do so.
This current government has taken over where the last government left off in Industrial relations.
Unions received a few crumbs via the EU but apart from that the Tory anti TU legislation remain on the books meaning that the only way to fight bad employers is illegally!!
The Tories under Cameron would be no better. They will inherit this current economic crisis and make things far worse with their free enterprise rhetoric and ideaology. Unions will be all we have left to fight back.
Just keep saying to yourself, Cameron and Osbourne will be just as bad if not worse.
Lets see Jacquie Smith give an adequate explanation about how it is that she claims that her sisters house is her main residence when infact all her belongings and her children are actually resident in her constituency. What a flagrant bending of the rules and mis-use of our taxes by someone who holds such high office. Another one of these socialists with her nose in the trough. One rule for us and another for MP's and those who "govern". Its appalling.
As long as you dont include the Tories in the 'us' because they are not.
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