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Price of labour

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Published Date: 13 October 2008
Alexander McKay states that the RMT strike, and my support of it, is an "archaic method of resolving industrial disputes". If it is not archaic for the centuries-old practice of banks to determine the price they charge when selling money (they call it loans) and refuse to sell it when the buyer says no to the price, why is it archaic for workers to determine the price they want for their labour, and withdraw it when the price is not right?
Mr McKay doesn't tell us how he would resolve matters when an employer refuses to pay the price a worker wants. Arbitration can work sometimes, but if an employer is obdurate the worker has to sell his or her labour for a lower price than it merits, or withdraw it.

It will, of course, become much more difficult for workers to bargain as the recession gathers pace and unemployment mounts. The fear of losing a job will lower the price of labour and reduce the ability to withdraw it. The Labour Party was created to stop that happening, but that, as has been proved, is simply a silly, archaic idea.

JIM SILLARS
Grange Loan
Edinburgh



Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 12 October 2008 8:47 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Colin Wilson,

Aberdeen 13/10/2008 06:55:50
"why is it archaic for workers to determine the price they want for their labour, and withdraw it when the price is not right?

That's called "resigning".
2

SouthernSkye,

13/10/2008 07:27:43
Indeed, the phrase ...."refuses to pay the price a worker wants"..... says it all for me. Not 'What the worker deserves' nor 'what the worker is worth', simply what they want!
Is this a true reflection of the thoughts of Mr Sillars or simply a poor choice of words?
3

Upbeat,

13/10/2008 09:19:11
Another letter from Mr Sillars that shows us all that he still has some way to go before he may ever understand the reasons why Scotland's heavy engineering, steel, Coal, textile and consumer white goods industries have all but vanished in the past 40 years.

It has to do with pricing yourself out of work.... Mr Sillars. When no one wants to pay the price you demand for what you produce and sell, then you go out of business, and lose your employment. It's that simple.
4

G,

dndy 13/10/2008 12:52:23
The fact is that striking works....in this dispute and in many others it is the one thing that gets the employers back to the negotiation table.....unions have become so much smarter about when they deploy this last option usually picking the time of maximum effect, but employers don't seem to have learned anything....
5

Alternative (High-Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 13/10/2008 15:49:21
Jim Sillars... Yet another hard-core leftie who has switched to the SNP.

Don't vote SNP! You are really voting for stupid labour!

 

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