Child labour abuses backed by Government
A report in the weekend Financial Times makes depressing reading, as Peter Mandelson (for it is he) seeks to change the rules governing the insurance of foreign deals by UK companies.
For the past few years, the policy has been that the Export Credit Guarantee Dept would not provide any assistance where there was any forced labour, or where children were involved in the production process to the detriment of their health, education etc.
That policy is now beenabandoned relaxed to allow companies themselves to determine the best policy to apply in each country.
And how about this for a typical piece of doublespeak:
So now we are accepting the use of slave labour in Burma, or small children working 16 hour days sewing clothes in a factory in India, as a necessary element of UK economic policy.
Next time you buy a nice new shirt it could by stained by the blood of the poor and oppressed, working for a pittance or less, and being kept in that condition with the tacit approval of our Government.
This is a scandalous and disgraceful act of mendacity by a party that is blinded by its adoration of the multi-nationals and is desperate to ensure that there is no impediment to the exploitation of the poor in third-world countries.
I recommended that Lord Mandelson read Mark Thomas' excellent book "Belching out the devil" to understand just how the big companies disregard each and every rule that they can.
If this were the 1860's you can just imagine Mandelson opposing Unions in favour of a 'consultation on a unilateral solution to be devised by the employers'. The man has sold his soul and is moving the Labour Party into the policies bequeathed by Thatcher in a desperate attempt to impress his rich business acquaintances.
For the past few years, the policy has been that the Export Credit Guarantee Dept would not provide any assistance where there was any forced labour, or where children were involved in the production process to the detriment of their health, education etc.
That policy is now been
And how about this for a typical piece of doublespeak:
The department said its policies reflected those of Britain's fellow OECD members, adding that it was better to raise standards multilaterally rather than unilaterally.Apparently our 'ethical foreign policy' is only appropriate if everyone else is doing it. Forget about being the first to try and improve the lot of the oppressed, by embarrassing the rest of the world, our proposed policy is now not to interfere with the companies that must know best.
So now we are accepting the use of slave labour in Burma, or small children working 16 hour days sewing clothes in a factory in India, as a necessary element of UK economic policy.
Next time you buy a nice new shirt it could by stained by the blood of the poor and oppressed, working for a pittance or less, and being kept in that condition with the tacit approval of our Government.
This is a scandalous and disgraceful act of mendacity by a party that is blinded by its adoration of the multi-nationals and is desperate to ensure that there is no impediment to the exploitation of the poor in third-world countries.
I recommended that Lord Mandelson read Mark Thomas' excellent book "Belching out the devil" to understand just how the big companies disregard each and every rule that they can.
If this were the 1860's you can just imagine Mandelson opposing Unions in favour of a 'consultation on a unilateral solution to be devised by the employers'. The man has sold his soul and is moving the Labour Party into the policies bequeathed by Thatcher in a desperate attempt to impress his rich business acquaintances.
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