Interesting digression, selectively put

but it misses the point, putting the blame solely on 'the workforce', nasty over powerful trade unions and Labour Governments. Our management was crap, industrial relations built on an adversarial 'us and them' model. Where industry has been rescued, its largely been through foreign owners with more constructive attitudes to labour relations. Despite the odd shining example the stats do show manufacturing has shrunk much more so than in other Western European economies. Germany is an example worth closer scrutiny - Trade Unions on boards of directors and their 'mittlestaat' industry sustained by banks that invest and are there for the long haul whilst ours focus on short term gains and financial jiggery pokery

Posted By: Tressells Broadbrush, Apr 9, 15:20:39