A Recession by "CHOICE"?

From the time when the London Stock Market [ LSE ] was deregulated and computerised in 1986  Britain has undergone radical change in allowing the Finance Industry to dominate over the Nations need to retain Manufacturing on home soil. What reigned was Financial competition in which most everything comprising a System had to become modules for increased profitability in providing “CHOICE” – the very word used by New Labour Mr Brown when he announced that it was good for the people of the Nation. The word choice is also about duplicity which explains why Gas Companies now also sell Electricity and Electricity Companies also sell gas, why British Rail had to be Privatised and why NHS Hospitals are held together with sticking plasters driving the need for more monitoring and regulators being deployed for connectivity purposes. By allowing such choice to prevail “relativity” as to pricing structures then hit Tax Payers in making them think that the lowest price was representative of the real price however they became consumers to what were Public Services and Systems on which they paid TAX to support. It was supposed, I suppose, that fluctuating prices would create fluctuating employment as all regularly changed Service providers as everyone changed seats and hats to meet demand be where it may. All of this has derided stability in favour of part time employment forcing mobility of labour.

 

We may now be in a “financial” recession however the “employment” recession began many years ago, stemming from 1986, whereby the pipework of employment began to spring leaks. Take Crewe for example which was a Railway Town and home to Rolls Royce. During WW2 Crewe Works took in raw material and made everything on site towards the War effort after which it continued servicing and building Locomotives. From British Rail it became British Rail Engineering Limited [ BREL ] then subsequently a Bombardier Company. I recall that in 1988 the Management meeting the Night shift Workers clocking off at which time decisions had to be made on whether to accept redundancy that instant – “can I call my wife” some voiced!. Yes many accepted such offers that instant and didn’t turn up for any further shifts which left the Management then in state of chaos not knowing whom was still employed. Forms were then distributed factory wide asking for Name, Department and current job designation!. Those with ambitions gladly left while in the Offices seats became vacant on numbers and not on worth to the Company. At the time I was a member of a Design Team which although firstly being a design outpost from BR Derby HQ it “shifted” over into the BREL domain. In 1988 I left too after 19 years Employment in the Railway Industry but I shall always remember a Bombardier Manager holding talks with workers in which he stressed that the Company had to become more profitable and could “not afford to carry passengers”. That raised a few smiles since that was the whole purpose of Bombardier in its capacity as a Transportation Company!.  

 

The attached images show the Changes to Crewe as a consequence of change driven by Profit.