Hostility to foreign workers is nothing new and, in the recent context of EU workers in England, it's an even more tricky issue. Rather than pass personal judgement I will point out UNITE's approach of implying that British workers have been discriminated against rather than going into more dangerous territory by attacking the somewhat infallible EU regulations. They claim that British workers are being treated less favourably than the workers coming in from the EC who are prepared to work for less and therefore pushing their Brit counterparts out of the job market with cunningly simple supply demand economics.
The problem of course for British workers is that work opportunities in England seem attractive to individual citizens of the EC for a wide variety of reasons. Despite this the European Community, economicly rightly so, suggests that free movement of workers is good.
My point for this post is that the economic crisis has caused nations to become introverted. National governments buy out national banks paid for by the national taxpayers. Even America is looking within itself - seeking to take steps to being energy self-sufficient and, more controversially, by only allowing use of American steel. Restricting imports is essentially creating tariffs. If the US starts doing this the rest of the world might follow and simple economics suggets that the crisis will get worse. When considering how to deal with this situation parties should think of the bigger picture. The reason why there is free movement of workers is so that Europe prospers as a single economic entity. Therefore we should look to saving the European economy not just our national one.
A cheaper workforce means that many workers will be forced out of the job market - but it means that industry will be more likely to cope through the crisis. If people can sue firms for this suggested discrimination businesses are even more likely to go under. On a national level loosing our production industries is devastating. On a European scale you have to bear in mind that importation of skilled foreign workers is good for the economy. Both suggest that these measures are a good thing.
To save Britain from economic collapse we need to save Europe, and to save Europe we need to save the world. Gordon Brown was actually right when he said he wanted to save the world: using strong economic policy from an altruistic international perspective is more likely to save the world than the ridiculously selfish introspective nationalism: which will save us in the short term but bring the Western world to its knees before we see a single quarter of economic growth.
The problem of course for British workers is that work opportunities in England seem attractive to individual citizens of the EC for a wide variety of reasons. Despite this the European Community, economicly rightly so, suggests that free movement of workers is good.
My point for this post is that the economic crisis has caused nations to become introverted. National governments buy out national banks paid for by the national taxpayers. Even America is looking within itself - seeking to take steps to being energy self-sufficient and, more controversially, by only allowing use of American steel. Restricting imports is essentially creating tariffs. If the US starts doing this the rest of the world might follow and simple economics suggets that the crisis will get worse. When considering how to deal with this situation parties should think of the bigger picture. The reason why there is free movement of workers is so that Europe prospers as a single economic entity. Therefore we should look to saving the European economy not just our national one.
A cheaper workforce means that many workers will be forced out of the job market - but it means that industry will be more likely to cope through the crisis. If people can sue firms for this suggested discrimination businesses are even more likely to go under. On a national level loosing our production industries is devastating. On a European scale you have to bear in mind that importation of skilled foreign workers is good for the economy. Both suggest that these measures are a good thing.
To save Britain from economic collapse we need to save Europe, and to save Europe we need to save the world. Gordon Brown was actually right when he said he wanted to save the world: using strong economic policy from an altruistic international perspective is more likely to save the world than the ridiculously selfish introspective nationalism: which will save us in the short term but bring the Western world to its knees before we see a single quarter of economic growth.
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