election campaign itself on these issucs was so especially anodyne. An article in Labose Party News entitled Listening to Women was at pains to point out that any programme wald take a long long rime to implement and did not even mention the more attractive parts While it is trac that all Labour pross conferenoes had at least one women on the platform, the overwhelming im- pression from the party political and therefore all the more frightening for the Labour leadership. of that programme at all. pay some lip service to feminist-rheto- Women may have succeeded in getting women's issues onto the agen- das of the opposition partics bur it maternity grant, imposed a tax on and child care allowances, It has been taken to the European court I times on issucs like cqual pay, retirement and married parts in West Germany, for example, ric the Tory Party dogeedly reject any notion of eyual opportunities at work and Nicholson admits that such ideas "have not really formed a part of our women's access to the carer's allo- wance, While its European counter: workplace nurseries. thinking"
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 2 July/August 1987 Labour's policies loud and clear including on abortion rights and to actually organise to delend women from attack under this next term of a Fory governmenr. Women are 52 por cent of the voting population and are just as likely to vote as are men, It is about time that the Labour Party woke up to this fact and rather than purport- ing to listen to women", actually did must aim for the middle ground by Labour Party political broadcasts. The way to accelerate the increasing trend of women turning away from the Tories is to put forward something about it. ing red roses. It was as if the Labour they could show they were a match for The caring side was dealt with by Gleays and shots of Kinnock going one better than most politicians, not just feat pundits inside and ouside the Labour Party have been quick to ar vote will nut budge. Labour's cam- paign was slick and professional, the broadcasts, apart from the one on women, was of grey-suited men sport- Icadership believed that the only way Thatcher was to wheel out the men. kissing babies bat also changing nap- In the aftermath of the clection de gue that results prove that the Tory sere du droit de l'homme which the right wing French government set up in In fact the Alliance are opposed to ministry for women) The Alliance put forward a programme for strengthening the equ- showed over 60 percent of women in favour. But the same poll also showed that these issues werc put cicarly bo- fore the voters. The proposal for a ministry for women for example un- doubtedly reached some and one poll that 90 percent thought it was being ministry of justice (sunilar to the mini- would be overstating the casc to say put forward by the Alliance. such a policy proposing place of the Socialists 24
Labour Party in a new witch hunt goat the lelt for the electoral defeat In be more difficult for the left to resist hardly credible any more to argue in sation, redundancy and closure or bureancracy will back the right in the against the left, attempting to scape- a situation in which it is more difficult however, is that it is receive a new boost. The trade union to wair for the next Labour govern- ment. For workers faced with privati- ro launch working class struggle, it will One, more positive, factor in the Javour of holding back a fight in order speed-up, there is no prospect of res- cue by the next Tabour government. defeat of the 1984-5 miners' surike was right victory for cither side, Thatcher The defeat of the miners' strike, Of the printworkers' strike and of subsequent come of the political changes inside the THE ELECTION RESULT condensed in a single snapshot the whole preceding period of political development. The the basis on which the Tory advance The miners' strike was the key rest of the last Tory government, which it passed only because the lea- dership of the labour movement failed it. Even il' the miners' strike had ended with a compromisc, without an out- struggles, has also conditioned the out- would have heen decisively weakened. N labour movement.
most massively trade-unionised work- the election itself. There exists an blow to working class morale and con- ing classes in the world meekly to bow reveal something important abour the Workers faced with such attacks will The open question is whether the clectoral deleat proves such 1 major fidence that such a fightback against Tory atracks cannor be mounted. No doubt there is an immediate demorali- wuuld be wrong to expect one of the ultra-left belief that elections are irre- levant, but in our view clections do either fight now, or go down to defear. some detail about what happened in disappointment, down in front of these attacks. In this article we have If Thatcher was the main winner of die miners' strike, then in a Tesser way. The defear of the miners strengened the grip of the ment and the bureairacy as a whinie. Blanche to press shicad. It goes without section of the working class are in the VAT increased on all goods, maybe especially the youth, are going to be right wing in the trade union move and dealt a blow to the left leadership in the labuur movement. particularly Thatcher has now been given carte saying that bitter new attacks on every pipeline. Those who were influenced by Tory tax cuts are now going to find food. The tempinyon, that associated with Benn and Scargill so was Kinnock. • Kinnock is embarrassed by and op- posed to most equal opportunities. anti-discriminatory policies which he leels may alienate sectinns of the white male working -lass. This endorsement of Tory pro- paganda has compounded the pro- blems created by Kinock's capicula- nion to the Tories over rate-copping and anti-racist Denn liseen Katine
debate withm the Labour Party. But extending its influences if it can make and others on the hard left have no- point in time. The Tory victory does A major now round of struggle in- the right pushes home its attack. The sionment about participating in the in the next period of hard struggles the hard Jelt can only create the basis for of wurking class struggles. If Marxists relation of class forces at a particular set the framework for the class struggle side the labour Party is inevitable as hard left cannot shirk that struggie, and must determinedly resist disillu- itself a maccrial factor in the outcome to come, but it cannot, in itscif, deter- mine the outcome of that struggle. Every sector of the welfare state will the health service. Major new powers will be taken to divest local authorities of their Tonctions, which will increas- ingly be taken over by national gov- ernment, Privatisation oflocal govern- All this will translare isclf into Every parrof the working class will feel miet with draconian new schemes ro- come under renewed attack, especially water and electricity renewed attacks on jobs. living stan- dards and trade onion organisation. the cffers of Thatcher's victory borh in the workplace and in their pockets. make them work for rheir dole. will proceed immediately. ment services. wan in Hackney North, after a vicious Vaz detrated the Tory righrwinger wert elected, a major breaktrough for the representation of black pooplc, and a testimony to the success of black sec- tions inside the Tabour Party: Bernie Grunt's vote in Totentam held up. campaign against him und his notoriety. for his criticism of the police after the Broad- water. Farm uprising: Obviously. bluck people in Tottenham voted for hun in large numbers. Diane Abbott racist campaign against her, as did Paul Boateng in Brent Sourh: Keith Peror Bruinvels in Leicester South. FOUR BLACK Labour MPs and the abolition of the ct.C. despite the major press
25 the struggles of working people, of Thatcher's election victory was but perspectives and leadership in the Thar is the perspective that the left must set itself; to base itself firmly on Through building these struggles and by fighting to lead them, the left can one act in a prolonged drama of class conflict which has been raging in Bri- tain since the late 1960s. In this drama thing to offer in the way of solidarity. youth, women and black people. assemble the forces to strike back. coming struggles, then they will not be able marcrially to modify the relation- we have hardly reached the interval — the finale is along way off. • ship oficlass forces: represent determined to crush the minate socialism in their quest for a nomy, but the depth of the cconomic Crisis, and the impending new world recession compel them to do so. That- cher's victory is a victory for the City If the whole of the organised work- ing class 1s now pushed onto the defensive, then so 15 the left of the labour movement. In the unions new realism', the philosophy of class colla- boration and single union deals. will This is especially so because not only are the Tories and the class which they strength of the working class and tel privatised, totally free market eco- burcaucrar and for every police thug. for cvery perry boss black sections made by Bernie Grant that the clection of black MPs will not representation of black people in the Politically Vaz, Abbott and Roatong are on the soft left. Noncheless, the witting of scars by black vas will nightly be scen as a step forward by black people, and aid the fight to link the labour movement to anta racise and black struggles. It is unlikely that seir a breakthrough would bave been made without the tight waged by black sections, in the teeth of opposition frum the Kinnock leadership. The declaration of continued support for after his election is a pronusug sign be the end of the struggle for black SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 2 July/Augur 1987 labour movement:
Labour, kick our the Tories) was Totin *For now (Neil Kinnock and his to act against those interests, we will have to SCEHHIS remaining period to do barely even critical of Kinnock, reduc- ing inself to retailing turgid anti-Tory ing any intention of presenting a socialist alternative to the party pro- O Mahony set the tone in a lengthy ream) stand againse the Tories for the interests of the working class. When a propaganda while explicitly renounc gUrE begins fight it. Right now every socialist should use the The good, the bad and the ugly article which concluded: and weck of the election govchiment Editor ing any gramme Labour Donin the The problem for the abstentionists da candidacies + was thar the most portunity to tirow our the most savage government since the 1926 THE LEFT wing linc-up in the 1987 abstentionists (who saw the whole at- principle to the outer right wing fr- 'designer tion as a serious matter: a crucial op: fair as an occasion for sideline com- poses) through varied degrees of opportunism and - especially those running propagan- class conscious workers saw the elec- general strike. Left protest voles - ranged from inges of the cross-class voting Communist Party stunts and clection general bosses
started carrying brielcases for some of everything he or she can to kick out pur in a Labour Socialist Action has certainly coolved rapidly to the right sinee the days of strike, when it was the come under new influences since it of MP's. the Campaign erup's union links include Scargill, area's Ene This has helped colour the whole politics of Sonalist Actios, whose cleation slogan 'vote Labour in every most sluvish supporter of cycry pro nouncemont by Arthur Scargill. I has opponents of group - the Tories and like the NUM the Campaign guvernment.' bureaucratic the miners. Clarke. Doran Rafiers disonented and remote from working An arrogant, schoolmasterly foxt ween Labour and Tory policics, and Once this simple fact is grasped (:). But anyone looking to the ROP for a lectured workers on the similarity bet- class politics the RCP has become No socialism please, I'm revolutionary progratume it follows that makes no sense. Kinnock Party vote labour but build a fighting instincave desire not to fall too far out centrality of the even clections from any political fight British by-clections — would be fow recognised this. Their election Nowan represented an of step with the mood of most trade i most a are occurrence In freak Bur of course it left • Since the SWi recognises every ciec- Labour Party, why does it abrain ber- for alternative policies and leadership two glaring questions unanswered: Workers inside the labour movement? socialist alternative" Socialist umon militants. and far between. The
tinued its decline with an advocacy of It may seem strange that a paper knows its readers and supporters well which long ago expelled all those who sull thought they were communists, action throughout the miners" strike, con- with Can- regarding itself as part of the hard left should feel obliged to devor such pro- minence to a polemic against tactical no doubt Socialit Action cnough to recognise what message was Meanwhile the Communist Party, cruss-class tactical voting in Marcism which apposed class was shared paign Group News. constituency" most needed voting: but and control or four-point text pur forward no fighting housing or social services: no policies 110) even strike action (indeed no policies for the trade unions), nor was there even an explanation of the role of the capitalist statc and the need to smash it: instead the timid Red Front favour the widest extension ol civil abertice policies whatever to mobilise, organise There was not one wold from the Red Front in defence of health, education, to defend jobs or wages; no calle for reference to socialism or revolution; or give leadership to the working class, expropriation or nationalisation: more than disappointed. no demands for workers" inside the Labour Party: Supporters of out a bold socialist alternative to Kin- admits that vast numbers? of Labour "fighting socialist alternative actually without illamons. Be prepared to fight: and arguing to be done by Marxists *Socialist Worker savy vote Labour Fair enough: bur there is fighring Later Briefing, for example, spelled Even SWP theoretician Chris Harman Party members fought inside the party nock up to and during the election. for snidarity for the miner. •Just who or what Be prepared to argue belp were the SWP? fight against?
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 2 JulylAugust 1987 events of the last eight years remams that the slogan of Labour Briefing (vote the sogan of our magazine's first issue the nonc-too-glorious history of their collapsing party, won only a handful The central issue highlighted by the the acute political crisis of working class Teadership If ly in this contest Labour — and fight on coupled with an alternative socialist manifeste), and ('vote Labour, bur fight for socialist policies) correctly spelled our the Today. Predictably the handful of Cp candidates, redundant leftovers from of votes each. Harry Sloan tasks shead So after all the swaggering, the RCH Meahwhile Sacalist Organser (vote ran on policics to the night of many Tribunites, and as brieveot to the working class as the Monster Raving Labour activiss as Walworth Road campaigns which certainly stressed gave as little voice or control to local The increased majorities for can- Terry Fields and Dave Nellist - and the strong showing by John Bryan in old-fashioned class issies*; but which dirlates associaton with Willont - Bermondsey wero the ourcome campaigns did elsewhiefe, and cqual rights for all The increased Loony Party! thinly disguised as the Red Front of To be a serious revolutionary it 1s nor sfficient to seek an easy niche in a relatively small party like the swe (made up only of those who want to battles to take revolutionary policies into the mass organisations and living One grouping which does not even pretend to be interested in such a fight ty. Yet much of the RCP, Melism Is overthrow the system in its entinety" is the Revolutionary Communist Par- 17 candidates showed yet again how it is necessary to fight the much harder Their 1987 election intervention, struggles of the working claws. barely skin deep bravado. 26
M APIT
other companies are following in its footsteps. The technological changes ans and others are and trade unions. Ens is also at the forefront of aggresive management techniques, and The new face of capitalism will affect every one of us. implementing, and the way they are doing it, multinational, Electronic Data Services (LDS), with an annual turnover of around $1 billion, *The world's largest data processing service company! — that's how US-based describes itself RICHARD PAINE examines EDs — its history, its image, its attitude to employees
27 worldwide The second was the complete takeover of EDS by the giant LS-based multinational General Motors (GM) in a $2.6 billion Ir gradually took over GM's own worldwide computer tradition), It manages the facilities data of the national nursing board, and is developing the Midland Bank's accounting But key to Is recent development = in a market EDS management reckon to be growing ar 30-355 a ycar — were The first was a contract in the OK with Unilever for a E2.5m private digital communications network. EDS then took over Unilever's own computer services subsidiary, and then won a reported $5 billion contract to computerise the private deal the saune vear. EDS took on board GM's vast theath care Unilever's two moves in 1981. benefit program' operations systems. $1,000, Today it has assets of over 5400 million. and employs It is the largest processor of private healch class in the: services commercial insurance companies in the same way. Ji. Ir is involved in joint ventures with Daewoo and Lucky In Britain EDS employs well over 1,000 workers. It runs the Airplus (a new credir card company in the American Express: EDs wAs FOUNDED in Dallas in 1962, by H Russ Perot with again the single biggest company in this field in the world Tr Goldstar in South Korea, with Suzuki and Isuzu in lapan, and with Olivetti in Traly. It recently bought French software house SPI (600 staff, $44 million turnover), A planned joint venture in the Ust with British Telcom only just failed to get off the BITPA. world. More than 600 banks now use EDS computer services: has major contracts with the US government and military. computer operations of London Regional Transport, abour 25,000 people across the world. SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 2 Juty/August 1957 ground at the end of last year.
shares other multinationals disregard for any liberal norions of manager's permit arrived, about a year after he started work at Partly it's just conrempt for national boundaries interfering Concerned with winning business and making profits, EDS on EDS projects in Britain without work permits. These tom- Lana Lewallen, in An ex-employee of EDS, working at BUPA at the time, con- firmed to me that this was the case:?I remember the day my with international commercial operations, EDS got caught and st EDS chair Ross Perot revelled in the macho and tacist glory. But the experience led to policy changes. No longer did EDS operate on a project-by-project basis. Frum then on it tum- ed primarily to Western Europe and to developing its own ethics. In Septeruber 1986 the Guordian revealed that EDS had instructed US staff to lie to immigration officials in order to work porary attachments! were authorised by charge of the project at BUPA headuarters. So why break the rules? BUPA, We celebrated it. CAPITALISM eliminate many manual, clerical and enginpering tasks. GM estimates that this world factory environment will need only a Computerised supervision of all opcrations will provide an EDS contracts to computerise or updare, and run, the data systems: more important are the communications facilities that The most significant role for EDS in GM is its development of the factory of the future, the Saturn project? Not only will the machines in a particular GM factory be communicating with each other (via GM's MAP, or manufacturing automation pro- rocol), but they will be talking to other machines in otber GM factories on the other side of the world, Communication will be GM's ait is to deliver their cars to the buvers within a week to ten days — so destroying Japanese manufacturers's cost ad- vantage. Dealers will be connected (and eflectively tied) to GM s own engincering, design and manufacturing operations, in a paperless system run by computers. Everything will be in- tegrated into this autorated information network, Centralised computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing will unprecedented degree of monitoring and control over workers. operations, forcibly transferring the stall to EDS And it is reponsible for developing all GM's information transfer systems processing operations of its clients. There is no need for them to and factory EDS's new system enables GM What is a 'data processing service company? have their own DP departments, EDS will do it all. EDS offers more than modernised office third of the labour of more traditional plants. digital, via GM's own sarellite capabilities. across the globe. go with them.
*to know what doctor prescribed what drug for what employee in what plant D. Linderman, EDS vice-president, on what day'
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK na 2 July/Augue 1987 and can be discussed only with an authorised didn't pay — they later withdrew their now publicised bids for contracts to build a central government data network to replace But it also reveals the semi military luerarchical structure of EDS as a company. EDS policy at one stage was to employ ex- milirary personnel, and military attitudes pertueate its manage- EDS is anti-union, like many other hi-tech giants (of which the largest, IBM, is the classic example). At EDs all employces have to abide by an cight-page code of conduct (whose hasir "casual clothes are not appropriate. EDS male employees may wear moderate, Deadly-trimmed moustaches, bur beards are All marrers concerning remuneration are con- Graduate recruits onto EDS's systems engineering develop- men: (SKD) raiping programme are subject to further lengthy principles are 'honcsty and integrity !). This includes items like: the existing police national computer. ment techniques. discouraged. manager fidential Doron Reflex allow inter company communications on the same basis. This The liberalisation" of Britain's: over the next two years the network will be further liberalised to Follen's best-selling book Or Wings of Engles (later turned into a The most insidions fearore of this network is rhat such a vast and efficient communications system will be in the hands of The long-term aim of GM's takeover of LOS is to provide it with a launching pad to sell similar systems inco this huge world These developments are no longer on the drawing board, telecoms network in the early 1980s was carried out specifically to allow these developments — and others — to take place. And EDS HAS AN aggressive public image, Best-known was.the.com- pany's 1979 raid on Iran. Two FDS employees had been jailed whilst developing the computer system for Iran's social securiry system. A team of EDS executives, led by a former Army com- mander, were sent to rescue them, a mission accomplished by inciting a crowd to sorm the prison where the EDS men were held. "This semi-milirary operation became the subject of Ken resistance and move production literally ar the touch ofa button — 'electronic scabb- ing' But each physical location will be a profit centre', en couraging inrense competition with the threat of closure per no longer figments in the imagination of company directors CM's worldwide operations will he treated as one factory. pattern is being repeatod throughout the capitalist world private capital. And in will be paralleled by similar systems devcloped by other multinationals. Management will be able to detect workers insurance group film scarring Burt Lancaster). They are happening now. manently hanging over them 28
lengths, their management technique is not exceptional. BP Britain's biggest software house — was move 'essential to gain true world status." Scicon management has just 'asked' its employees to work an extra two and a half hours per week without extra pay (taking them to 37% hours) — in return for four days extra holiday. Wonder what would happen if an employee refused? CONFIRMING that, whilst EDS may go to some extraordinary transferred to a holding company in the USA six months ago, a working hours to discuss problems: That was good though, your salary with a colleague is gross misconduct and grounds for spirit" is encouraged — *were all in this — with weekly team teetings generally alter working hours. We had weekly SED group meetings too after because we got away afterwards!' subsidiary Scicon — CAPITALISM togerher, guys" restrictions; 'Ladies", lor example, aren't allowed to wear Most EDS employees are recruited onto SED. The ex. employee I spoke to described how he was approached at a jobs second interview on the Monday. The job offer was made there and then with the requirement for an immediare answer, Ar that stage the potential employee is shown the code of conduct and the contract. The interviewee said 'yes", and started the follow 'Eis' stated attitude towards trade unions wan that an in dividual could joan. Thus was discouraged, however. At the in skills or aptitude four the job. They tend to take people from a nun- or anti-union background, particularly new graduates with As lor the hours of work.. the contract states "47%½ hours fair Char on Thursday morning, anterview in the afternoon, review they were more concerned with personal attitudes than per week, and as and when reasonably required" Initially 1 trousers, or patterned tights, or boots. or backless shoes:;. male SED trainees are not allowed to have beards! no experience of a working environment. ing Munday. This is his story.
The sED programme consists of three phases, effectively all probationary: In theory phase 1, on-the-job-training, is six to nine months. In fact it lasts 12 to 15 months. When the employee is considered suitable — entirely at the discretion of Bur the pressure has the manager — then she goes on phase IT. Tr's about phase II that EDs has had its worst publicity already been built up long before that.
There is no other word to describe the way they treat you but terrorising you. When my 12 months were up in August, I was due for assessment. After eight months l'd been told *we'll don't think you'll ever be ready. You don't understand what you're doing. Take the weekend, come back on Monday and *This of course made me more determined to stay and pro- minated". In lact they didn't assess me. And throughout this 'In rid September my manager called me in and cold me 1 Before guing on the zen week course which in phase IT, the employee has to pay EDS £4,500, between 25. and 30 months have to delay phase Il until September. We need you: you're an But in August I was told "Maybe you'll go on phase 11 in January'". In September my manager said "1 ve myself. So on Monday my manager pur me on daily assess- one, I would better- For leaving, under these conditions, within 24 months the Until recently the promissory notes were seen as little more than a threat, Turnover at EDS is (understandably) high, par- dismissed.. for gross misconduct before the end of the These 'become effective if the employee 12,250, and between 30 and 36 months E1.125 güing un phase Il in October. And I did." emplovet has to sign three promissary notes. periods; after commencement of phase IF ment with set objectives If I failed whole period 1 was pertorming well. tell me if you want to resign. expert in the system?
the CBI and the British Institute of Administrative Management. Good news for their members, and a mockery of 29 SPENDING on 'information technology" — the computerisation of information storage and communications — should enable British industry to get rid of 750,00 jobs in the next three years. That's the verdict of a new report produced in association with Labour's IT strategy which claims it will create jobs. Investment in IT under capitalism is designed specifically to destroy jobs ticularly during phase I. But at the end of January this year, in a case brought by EDS against two ex-employees, a judge ruled This has deep implications — not least in that it was welcomed by leading Tory Party members, and fis in with that EDS was treasonable to enforce them. and consolidate management control. reported ministerial opinion. worked from nine till six with an hour for lunch. Bur 1 was criticised for leaving at bpm, and los marks on my three- monthly assessment. As there are no automatic wage rises I was Iess likely to get one. Within a few months 1 was starting at Barn sionally waff gor a lile brown corclope with f4D in for good 'And bolidays. in theory we were allowed 20 days. But They were dillicult to take because pornassion for pre-booked *I never had a wage rise in the 15 months I was there, and HDS say they have an "open-door" policy and any stall are free to discuss prublems with their manager, That works as long as you toe the line, do your voluntary" overtime. Discussing Onr weekend 1 was tiere (working at BUPA HQ) Froth Friday morming until Tuesday morning with a break of jost four hours. the salary (£7,800) wasn't brilliant for the computer industry. and finishing sometimes at Yprn or 10pm, with a shorter lunch. We were only paid of course for 3712 hours, although occa leave was often withdrawn at the last minute. SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 2 July/August 1987 deeds dinn.
the MRoss Peror video" to promote EDS" way of working; This Their analvsis's main conclusions were that German dars mo- It was clear to everybody that these conclusions hall already been written before the rescarchers had even put onr 'In December 1984 we (TASS) organised the first EDS meetings. These were very well attended and everybody was "Then Vauxhall management started to organise meets? 'We had the same problem as in Germany: the nom-senion cessors are not ellicent; the equipmcar is old and not offocus; for all employees (also attended by EDS management) Lo show *50s rescarchers ran around die OPEL plants for six week- was crucial. At first our members did nor attend these meetings lousy. And the hours are real mean' programme... It's cold. The pay is G. Stuart Reeves, EDS vice-president. *This horrible 10 week training recruiting and development The same thing happened at Vaushall too. determined nor to sign the EDs contract. management systems are obsolcte CAPITALISM foot inside OPEL 'In fact I got a "'below average" on the fifth woek and was nature of phase I, any judgement in that case in support of FI will further reinforce a regime TASS has described as 'bordering Phase Il is a 10 week course at EDs's residential premises in Harrow: There are 13 courses each year, with 20 people on hut with "First of all, you are told that if you don't pass the course * Lectures are ninc-five, with an hour break for lunch, seven days a week. Hut assignments would take until 11 or 12 at night, somelines until one or two in the morning, and occasionally *The assignmen marks are scaled; outstanding; above "The rule in that an "'unacceprable" murk leads to "condi- tional" status, and if any of the next three assignments are por on "condition". For my next two assignments 1 gor an "outstanding"" and an "above average", bur on the third ann (after I had had six hours sleep in three days), I made one simple The twn programmers in question had completed phase 11 successfully. But more recently EDS has lodged another case against an employee who had left during phase II. Given the cach. Basically it's a computer programming course. average, average; below average; unacceptable. mistake in a programme and was finished." non-stop through to the next day. "below average", you're sacked. you luse your job. on slavery'- a difference.
'EDS management has consistently refused to meet Tol •Wc have since lost 50% of our members. Those remaining don't want to be identified ... (although) many are symputel signers (we didn't have a closed shop) pulled in the amitin timidated heavily: "sign within seven days or our ofer will be A hard core of 60 was still resisting reps. It does nor recognise TASS. don't want to be identified ro the union. withdrawn**. members.
In some other countries, such as Belgium, legislation in Bur they did so all the same. Their recruirment policy reinterc *Almost all new EDS employees in Belgium are voung pect This hasn't stopped TAss representing remaining members two who lost their cases against the legal enforcement on. the TANs prior to an industrial tribunal bearing. But they are tur But the press coverage in particular has tended to concent trate solely on the no heards typr of story. This has obscure! now working Jor 418 on an individual basis, TAss defended the promissury not More recently. EDS settled our of cour wish Bur they are not new, and they will be repeated with increasing SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 2 July/August 567 theory prevented EDS from refusing to recognise trade smin». EDS MANAGEMENT techniques are currently seen as esteeme frequency over the next period in other companies. ple without any kind of trade union tradition rently waging a losing harle This: in Britain TASS organised 200 of GM's 300 computer stall prier REMEMBER, EDS is a major multinational, not a back-street sweat-shop. Their industrial relations methods go beyond even those pioneered by Japanese big business. And other companies Of course things aren't always as straightforward' for EDS. They had particular problems after the GM takcover in in- tegrating existing staff in GM's computer division worldwide in- to EDS. For a start these arcas were often unionised. In Vauxhall A German trade unionist, speaking to an international the Transnationals Information Exchange in Amsterdam in October 1985, describ: meeting oganised are following in their footsteps. ed what happened at Opel: to takeover in 1981 CM/EDS workers' 30
clutching a portable micro-computer linking him with Conservative central office. But computer buffs were puzzled by just what the model was. It turned out to be a new BT product, not yet on salc. A BT spokesperson told the computer weekly VIEWERS MAY have been impressed by Norman Tebbit — appearing on the BBC's local clection round-up on 7 May — (Quoted in Datalink, 11.5.87) Datalink, 'This is slightly embarrassing... CAPITAIISM
Communications/compuring is at the very centre of current H. Ross Perot was recently removed as chair of FDS and sonnel policy is an important and in many ways complementary developments in the capitalist economy worldwide EDS what EDs and similar companies make their profits from. support to the technological system it is developing.
pushed into responding actively and positively. And this from the GM board, apparently alier disagrenments with other Some observers have predicted a relaxarion in EDS policy. The itiated the further promissory note court action referred to Workers' frustration and dissatisfaction is increasing, not decreasing. in companies like EDS. The labnur movement miust must be intercational. Hand in hand with this. perspectives developing technologies for the working class, and indeed for The company has told its workers nothing is to change?. EDS British management has in- above. And SED trainees have just been told thar a third of those allending the next three phase 1l courses will be failed and must be developed for harassing tie vast potential at chess GM directors and an involvetnent in the "Trangare scandal: including major, mitant recruing campaigns — the whole of the world's population. • evidence points to the opposite. response
31 A joint workers" response to the crisis in telecoms — job loss, privatisation, and new managemen techniques - has been long nerdue. For a year now a group of rank-and-file relecoms trade unionists from HT and the manufaeturers have been Three issues of a joint newsletter — Teleom Voi? — have now been produced, de Jateer specifically targeted for the The re-clection of a left-led executive in the NCU now gives a real opportunity to extend this work into the NOt membership. Readers of one of this magazine's forcrunners — Sociatin Pieport — will know of the succeesful rank and file international A second conferene is now in the stages of preparation, organised by the telecorus union lorum. Aime for April 1988 in Britain, in addition to reports and discussions from workers amund the world, the conlerenne's specific focus will be on general election. Thousands have been distributed through GEC and Plessey telecons factorics, with limited circularion in BT merting and discussing their problems and possible common responses in a telecoms union form developing an international workers response and plan for relecoms. telecoms? wurkers meeting in Amsterdam in December 1986. * * SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 2 July/August 1987