Trade Unionism is the hub in the Labour Movement wheel. The historical origin of the Trade Union was consistent with the origin of the Manifesto. It was born during the industrial revolution and the exploitation of wage labour.
Historically, life in the factories was outrageous. Exploitation of child labour was common. Long hours, bad working conditions, enhanced with bad wages and nonexistent rights and benefits created an employer’s dream and an employee’s nightmare.
That was long ago and thanks to Trade Unions and collective bargaining, wages, rights and working conditions have greatly improved. Trade Unionism began to expand and diversify promoting a broader and universal quest for social justice. This quest was tied to the Manifesto.
Many in the public sector saw Unions as greedy and lazy having out lived their original purpose. Having lost sight of their founding purpose, Unions became distracted with extreme causes becoming completely out of touch with the workers they were created to represent.
Then came free trade and the global economy. Big Corporations were no longer happy with profits, they became obsessed with a steady increase in profits which was needed to satisfy the ever increasing demands of the shareholder and foreign investment. As a result, large Corporations launched another industrial revolution exploiting wage labour.
Full time positions were converted into part time position preventing large Corporations from having to pay employee benefits. Cost of living continued to rise while wages were rolled back. Competing with a global economy became the perpetual rationalization that large Corporations needed to continue to downsize and lay off employees in times of record profits.
The essence of the problem we now face is not rooted in class struggle. It is rooted with listing large Corporations on the stock market. Originally the purpose of the stock market was to help new companies find working capital. Continuing to list large Corporations on the stock market will be dangerous for two reasons.
Investors want a high return on their investment. Wages, workloads and working conditions in a company are of no concern to the investor who simply wants a high return on their investment. This creates the climate where profits are not good enough. Companies need to create increased profits on a regular basis to maintain its investor’s interest. When large numbers of investors sell their shares and invest in another portfolio this puts a company in an artificial crisis situation where it is forced to downsize.
The modern stock market is one step above the casinos. It is not driven by class struggle, it is driven by greed and speculation. Insider trading, hot tips and artificial hype create a very unstable market. Owning a casino would be a much safer investment. The stock market has no concern for social justice despite the political attempts to create ethical funds. The stock market is not a place of mutual advancement where all who participate benefit from the fruits of honest labour.
The founding premise of the new Manifesto is not that the history of all conflict in the world is based on class struggle. The new Manifesto concurs that the history of all struggle is based on greed and speculation. Greed and oppression can plague left wing or right wing politics indiscriminately. To assume that one is right and the other is wrong is very narrow minded.
The people want a balance between fiscal responsibility and social justice. Social justice that is not fiscally responsible will run out of money. Fiscal responsibility that runs out of social justice will lose public support. It’s that simple.
People want balance. People need balance. The environment, the food chain, the entire ecosystem is one of balance. When one species becomes extinct the whole system becomes unbalanced. The second premise of the new Manifesto is Diversity makes us strong.
The age old idea that if we eliminate classes, religions and different opinions, we will no longer have anything to fight about and thereby establish peace is simply wrong because the end does not justify the means. The Manifesto cannot exist if human rights are not entrenched in it.
The old Manifesto taught that the people did not know what was in their best interest and big brother needed to make the decisions for them. The logical dilemma for the old Manifesto is that you cannot eliminate human rights and freedoms to create a system where all people prosper simply because where there is no justice, there will be no peace.
To strip away human rights and freedoms is unjust. Where there is no justice there is no peace. Therefore the Manifesto must respect human rights and seek justice. To this end we have the second premise of the new Manifesto which is Diversity makes us strong.
Women have a right to form a women’s caucus but may not force members to join it. Men have the right to form a caucus, Gays and Lesbians, Christians, Atheists, Jews, Muslims any unique collective has the right to form a caucus and should not be discriminated against. Tied to the second premise is free speech, freedom of association and freedom from discrimination regardless of race, colour, creed, gender or gender preference.
The primary objective of Trade Unionism was and is, free collective bargaining. As Corporations get leaner and meaner Unions need to become streamline and focused. Focused on their mandate to democratically represent their members in the free collective bargaining process.
Any global quests for social justice will fall short if Trade Unions lose sight of their founding purpose in representing their members in the free collective bargaining process. Nevertheless, Trade Unions and free collective bargaining provide a necessary checks and balances within a democratic system. Streamlined Trade Unions are needwd now more than ever.
