On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 09:34:26 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
John Rumm wrote:
press on how widespread it was. Or the Tory party. Thatcher brought in
secret ballots thinking it would make industrial action far less
likely - and she was proved totally wrong. Which means bullying - if
any - made absolutely no difference.

You will note that Thatcher's reforms have resulted in massive
reductions in the number of days lost each year to industrial action
across the board. Reforms you will note that Phoney Blair and co have
been in no hurry to undo.

Well, yes. When you shut down the mines that certainly results in better
industrial relations in them. On paper.

The sad thing there was the belief by anybody that there was a viable
business considering the nature of the world market in coal.
All the time that was wasted on trying to grab larger slices of eve
smaller pies, would have been much better focussed on reinvesting and
retraining to address more viable markets. In that respect, all
concerned can share the blame, including consumers wanting to have
lower prices than could be achieved locally.


Same with much of the rest of UK
owned industry. Perhaps it has escaped you there is no longer a UK owned
mass car maker? And the now successful car makers in the UK are owned by
those who have a less cavalier attitude to industrial relations - hence
better productivity, quality and industrial relations despite using the
same workers.

A coming to reality of all concerned. It takes two parties (at
least) to have an argument, and the confrontational nature of
employer/union behaviour (for which both are to blame) is responsible
for much of this.

The notion that all of this is a class or political struggle as
promoted strongly by the unions a generation ago - less so today, but
it's still there - really has no place in the business environment at
all.

It is a cultural change that can make a difference - a realisation on
the part of all concerned in a business that job security does not
come from having internal disputes about who gets what but realising
that it is from the willingness of the customer to buy the product
being sold and the confidence of the investors to continue their
commitment.



--

..andy