“British jobs for British workers” raises questions.
In 2008 it was predicted that Britain’s unemployment figures would increase continuously throughout 2009. Then two months into the year, official unemployment rate hit the roof. Experts forewarn a continuing rise well into 2010, as the recession deepens and the effects of the slowdown manifest itself.

On the 28th of January, hundreds of workers from the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire UK were on strike, they protested against the presence of foreign workers hired to expand the refinery.

The French oil firm that owns the refinery, Total, had subcontracted IREM, an Italian company, that shipped about 100 Italian and Portuguese workers to the Lincolnshire plant.

Protesters were on shaky ground as the European Union open market laws gave EU citizens the freedom to work in any EU member state. Whilst many claimed that the subcontracted foreign work force has undercut local wages and conditions, officials from Unite – Britain’s biggest union – are not willing to make direct accusations.

Sympathy strikes have developed since February 4^th, and now 22 other sites had been affected.  The next day, however, the case was resolved as Total assured new jobs for around 100 Brit workers. As one dispute was resolved another flared up amongst construction workers, who were demonstrating outside London offices, rejecting the appointment of foreign subcontractors in Staythorpe power station in Nottinghamshire.

Solutions may be found case-by-case, however, the underlining tension between trade openness and protection will endure, as unions fret that foreign contractors will freeze out local workers. Conservatives argue that Gordon Brown’s pledge in 2007 of, “British jobs for British workers,” unearthed a deep vein of nativism. The protesters echoed this pledge with an air of xenophobia that reverberated from Britain’s far right fringe.

With the EU open market legally allowing EU member to work in any member state, and more Britons being “posted” abroad in the EU than Europeans are in Britain. What right does Britain have to support and take advantage of open markets, whilst demanding that it’s workers have superiority over foreign workers from the EU?

You may argue that foreign contract workers may lead to money leaving the British economy, however Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, gave warning that protecting the “British worker” would turn “recession into depression”.

As British citizens, we must be wary not to allow compassion and tolerance to be forgotten in times of financial strife; lest political extremes thrive and take over.

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Image source: theglobeandmail.com

via Mubarak Elmubarak, 14 February 2009 8:38pm | 2 |