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Class War issue 81: Beware Of Byers
The government has recently announced plans to review how workforces are consulted regarding redundancies. It would be a mistake to imagine any sudden conversion to compassionate treatment of workers by the Blair administration. The real reason is a draft European directive establishing a "general framework" for informing and consulting employees in the European Union.
Stephen Byers, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has reiterated the government's opposition to European legislation on this subject. Byers has presided over the decimation of the British motor industry in much the same way as the Conservatives did for the mining industry.
Businessmen fear the European legislation could lead to works councils. Britain, Germany, Denmark and Ireland have formed a blocking minority although the German government look as though they may pull out after a statement from Chancellor Schroder which said "Germany has no difficulties with the consultation directive".
It is thought the directive could come into force by 2004 unless the Labour government can come up with sufficient delaying tactics to put the measure off.
Works councils are no more than a concessionary piece of window dressing from the EU and anyone who imagines real gains could be made from such bodies is surely naive.
The real issue is the way Labour has flung aside even the remotest pretence of looking after the class whose interests it was formed to advance. Blair has courted big business since his election as leader in 1994. One of his first actions was to drop employment rights for workers from day one of their employment, a measure which was backed by his predecessor John Smith, hardly a revolutionary himself! Both Blair and Byers have made references to business men as "wealth creators". The fact is, any wealth created in society is made by the working class and the only role bosses play is mis-managing affairs to such an extent that there needs to be redundancies in the first place.
Instead of works councils, we really need workers' councils and a system which gears manufacture to the needs of society which is run by and on behalf the working class. Needless to say, Byers won't be calling for these, preferring 'social partnership' between bosses and TUC unions. He is desperate for this idea to work as his career is on the line and he needs the TUC to shore up his tarnished image. Let's hope the whole thing falls flat and we can say bye bye Byers.
Back to issue 81 contents
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