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item0061C 914, 915 914 20 January 2004 CSR is Humbug
"Corporate Social Responsibility" is a mischievous PR movement designed to persuade a gullible public that private corporations take "the public interest" seriously, and have their best interests at heart. I am delighted that Stefan Stern, writing in The Guardian, has decisively blown the whistle. Sadly, my own Labour Government - equally gullible, and terrified of any substantive reform of company law - has bought the whole CSR story, and even has a "Minister for Corporate Social Responsibility", Stephen Timms. CSR is a cop-out. It is a side-show. Business managers should be allowed to get on with running successful competitive businesses - that task is quite difficult enough. True, radical company law reform is needed, to counter the dishonesty, corruption and exploitation which has become endemic to the sector - and I advocate that.
915 29 January 2004 Campaigning Cancelled
My union, the GMB, has undergone a facelift, an image makeover. Sensitive to criticism of the “politicisation” of unions, it has re-labelled itself “Experts in the world of work”. That goes too far, becomes too neutral, too like a mainstream personnel consultancy. I can understand a move to dissociate the union from the distinctive “socialist” position of the retired John Edmonds (although that is what drew me to the GMB..) After all, unions are “selling” their services to millions of workers who are not Labour supporters and such associations may not be an advantage. But the GMB is wrong to have abandoned its claim to a moral mission. Trade unions should remain awkward, campaigning organisations, challenging the myriad wrongs which workers suffer at the hands of bad employers the world over. This is what the GMB should say. My new slogan would have been simply - GMB Challenging Wrongs These are the commitments of the GMB - honourable and fair employment contract conditions for all its members, by way of personal advice and collective action To work to eliminate the indignity of poverty wages and to secure an enhanced Minimum WageTo promote the continuity of employment and, where appropriate, its equitable terminationTo secure for all workers safe workplace conditions, free of avoidable hazards and risks of personal injury and to uphold al statutory health and safety provisionsTo campaign for the payment, to every employee facing job-loss, of transitional adjustment pay while seeking alternative employmentTo uphold in all working relationships the Human Rights Act 1998To uphold, in all its policies and programmes , the dignity of its members, and in particular their enjoyment of their employment rights without regard to nationality, race, ethnic or religious considerations, age, disability, or gender.To assist, and pursue the interests of, all workers both employed and self-employedWhile these commitments embody much of the traditional socialist message, they are not “Party” propositions. They are couched in terms which would, I contend, attract recruits from all walks of life, and every part of the political spectrum. What do you think? Drop me a line
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