THE DRIVE FOR PROFIT

Timothy Roth and three other American gas field workers were killed in a road accident. "Over the past decade, more than 300 oil and gas workers like Mr. Roth were killed in highway crashes, the largest cause of fatalities in the industry. Many of these deaths were due in part to oil field exemptions from highway safety rules that allow truckers to work longer hours than drivers in most other industries, according to safety and health experts. Many oil field truckers say that while these exemptions help them earn more money, they are routinely used to pressure workers into driving after shifts that are 20 hours or longer. " (New York Times, 14 May) In its ceaseless drive for more and more profits capitalism will go to any lengths, even if that means the risk of death for its workforce. RD