Stop the undercutting of western manufacturing.

[ab6262]

The automotive industry in UK can't be all that bad. Ford manufacture half their world-wide production of diesel engines here and are looking to increase their workforce. I doubt many of them are on minimum wage.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11422687

 

 

Fords are an american co that own quite a few other car brands it used to own Aston Martin among others.

i dont think the reason that they build engines here is down to the fantastic british worker !! far from it ! its to do with the supply chain of parts made in the uk and europe, the uk is simply a convenient place to put engines together and ship all over the world.

i too doubt the workers are on minimum wage although if the unions get a sniff that Fords are making good profits no doubt they will stick their nose in the trough and try and bleed the co.............and thats when Ford says goodbye to the UK.

[WhyoleKyote]

That classic cliche never fails to amuse me but let me point out that the workers only built those cars. It was nice middle class suburb dwellers who designed them. People stopped buying them because foreign cars were better.

 

Say's he who lives in Fulwood:hihi:

 

As I remember Britain was the second biggest car manufacturer in the world in the 50's. They certainly tried but was on to a loser. Strike after strike. Not to mention al the other major industries like transport, dockers, miners.

 

I remember in the late 60,s and early 70,s as a kid my Father talking about his company buying a new car for the salesman. A new Morris full retail price plus heater plus radio plus seat belts etc and a 3 months+ wait. Toyota and Datsun however in stock with an on the road price inclusive off all the extra's which was standard.

 

The British public was sick of being kicked in the back by it's own workers. We simply lost faith in own products and certainly didn't owe anyone any loyaty.

 

Thatcher sorted the unions out and we have had nothing like the strikes ever since but it is to little to late.

 

As for the minimum wage, well I am for it but the government has been increasing it every year since it was brought in at well above inflation rates. However other wage rates have not and now there is not much between someone on min wage and someone with nvq's. Perhaps Min wage should be capped at the rate of inflation max.

[milquetoast1]

Shouldnt we completely ban imports of all goods and services from all countries who's labour manufactured the goods on less than the equivalent of our minimum wage of £5.93 an hour, as it constitutes unfair competition?

Most goods into the EC attract import duties, some of these duties are higher if they are from China rather than another EC country. Some products attract an additional duty, called Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD). If products are being manufactured in China, or elsewhere, using unfair uncompetitive methods, for example government subsidies, then companies in the EC can apply for ADD to be applied to balance the playing field. Cheaper labour costs alone would not be considered as evidence of unfair methods, but use of child labour might be.