Downward pressures on wages

American and Japanese firms are welcomed into Britain. They provide earnings for unemployed workers, can’t be bad? However, when they decide to move their business to another part of the world, questions get asked, we have dealt with some of them on this site. Sprawling Prawns and THE ROAD TO HELL are worth a read.

Workers may not have noticed that overseas capitalists maybe think the lower wages paid in Britain were the attraction, even if they were aware of this, a wage is a must have and certainly better than social insecurity.

The dismissal of 650 workers by NCR means The fall-out could put as many as 1000 out of work as smaller companies dependent on the American firm shed staff.

Attempts will be made by some to blame the foreign worker and use nationalistic propaganda as a solution, however. I’m sure you will be aware of local bosses doing the same sort of thing when they are not making a profit; it’s a class thing, no profit, no employment.
The bosses struggle against each other, here in East Kilbride at the end of this month, the CO-OP will close its main shopping mall. All the staff will be redundant because of the competition from outlying areas such as Kingsgate.
Not a lot is made of this closure, no big number, these things are happening all the time; the result is the same, anxiety, uncertainty and worry for many members of the working class.

Industrial and financial experts may be called in to help the hundreds of jobless make a profit for someone.
There will be no end to this until the working class think globally and act globally in their interest, by establishing common ownership of the means of production, i.e. Socialism.

A distasteful flavour of the menu presented to the Dundee workers follows.
Just over a year ago management gave assurances that manufacturing in Dundee would be unaffected by the new plant in Budapest.

NCR’s president and chief executive, Bill Nuti said he was “one million percent” committed to the Dundee operation.

These are the assurances given to the workers in this Dundee factory. However, the profit motive evidently overrides the promises. Caring and Sharing? No way!

Dundee operations director Allan Valentine said, “This is a very difficult but necessary proposal in response to changing market conditions. Our competition is also moving its manufacturing operations to lower cost areas.”

The production of automatic teller machines, the ubiquitous “hole in the wall” cash dispensers whose development was pioneered in Dundee, will now go to Hungary, China and India.

“The proposed re-alignment of our manufacturing operations will help create a level playing field that will enable us to become more competitive by lowering costs and freeing up resources to invest in new product innovation.”

Well are they thinking of your welfare?