Germany shows up Britains socialists/unions up for what they really are.

[truman]

Many of the things that British unions fight for are part of the law in Germany, so perhaps it isn't the unions that need changing, perhaps it is the "capital class".

 

How did the unions affect the nationalised British Leyland car company do you think? Were they a force for good..?

[I1L2T3]

In Germany it's a basically harmonious two way union-employer relationship for mutual benefit.

 

In the UK it's fundamentally adversarial. If you don't understand that you don't understand the problem. Or the solution which requires both sides to change their thinking not just unions.

[epiphany]

In Germany it's a basically harmonious two way union-employer relationship for mutual benefit.

 

In the UK it's fundamentally adversarial. If you don't understand that you don't understand the problem. Or the solution which requires both sides to change their thinking not just unions.

 

Excellently put! Germany's co-determination laws help to synthesise what will otherwise always be an antithesis between labour and capital.

 

Not to mention how engineering a more intrinsically co-operative economy means purchasing power is more fairly distributed, without the state having to play Robin Hood through costly bureaucracies.

[Keith Rich]

Germany is in much better shape than Britain in many ways, always has been, they manufacture and export much more than we do, and as a country enjoy a general higher standard of living than we do in the UK, and It is mainly because the German working class and their unions and the capital class have a healthy constructive relationship, unlike here in Britain where our unions are so entrenched in their anti-capitalist ideology.

 

Perhaps if Britain's union movement had took a leaf out of Germany's book and took a more sensible approach, Britain would still be an industral, exporting nation.

 

 

 

In your opinion what would be a more sensible approach ?

 

Please give examples of when Unions have not been sensible in the last two years.

[Big time]

In your opinion what would be a more sensible approach ?

 

Please give examples of when Unions have not been sensible in the last two years.

 

In the last two years. Lol. why only the last two years? is it because there's a long history of communist union militancy in this country.

[truman]

In your opinion what would be a more sensible approach ?

 

Please give examples of when Unions have not been sensible in the last two years.

 

But a lot of the damage was done years ago keith...

[Keith Rich]

In the last two years. Lol. why only the last two years? is it because there's a long history of communist union militancy in this country.

 

So you have no recent examples?

[rickiethecat]

In your opinion what would be a more sensible approach ?

 

Please give examples of when Unions have not been sensible in the last two years.

 

Dunno about the past two years, but if it wasn't for the militant NUM the UK would still have a mining industry.

[truman]

Oh I'm not claiming they are doing good or bad, just that the claim the unions are to blame in comparison to germany aren't true, as it is much more a 2-way street than that. You would equally have to say the capital class are to blame for not giving workers the same rights and sense of ownership as they do in germany.

 

The capital class? Wasn't the Labour government in charge of BL in the 70's when the communist and trotskyists ran the unions at Longbridge and Cowley? You're not saying that the 70's Labouir party were of the capitilalist persuasion are you?

[truman]

So you have no recent examples?

 

Excpet for the BA strikes,London Underground threats/strikes you mean? Recent public sector stikes as well..or were they all sensible?