Trade union power in Europe has been declining since the times of British Prime Minister Thatcher, perhaps even before that. Industrial organization in factories where many workers congregated helped a lot to encourage the defence of workers’ rights. When industrial production no longer required such concentrations of workers, the togetherness of their communities weakened, as did social solidarity between all those involved.
In this, a leading role was played by the neo-liberal commitment of many governments which still remained electorally successful. Plus globalisation. Soon, trade unions ended up mostly active in the public sector. Yet even here, the privatisation of government services helped to reduce further unionised employment in Europe.
Some claim this was a great social achievement for it prevented trade unions from being used any longer as a weapon in a social war that had contributed to the destruction of jobs in Europe.
I find it difficult to agree with such a view. Independently of all that is being claimed, the truth is that since trade union militancy and social power began to decline, the average income of European workers has stagnated in real terms.
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THE CHEAP AND THE EXPENSIVE
Of course it exists. In Malta just as much as elsewhere. This is with reference to “greedflation” -- by which enterprises charge excessive prices and thereby help to trigger inflation.
However by itself, greedflation does not explain how price levels in Malta have been climbing, or even why they increase more than in other countries. Due to our limited size, the product volumes we import are smaller, much smaller, than the volumes delivered to other bigger destinations. In addition, as an island, the transportation methods needed to deliver products to their destination can turn out to be quite complicated; they require more than just one means of transport.
Furthermore the amounts of products which have to be kept in stock profitably before they are sold must also be kept on the small side. Which means that the relatively high costs associated with getting a product to the consumer must be spread across fewer products, and that leads leads to a higher allocaton of cost on each item. If as well, the unacceptable burden of greedflation is mounted on top of all this, then the authorities must really intervene with full force.
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BANKS IN THE DISTANCE
In a past which now seems far distant, banks kept very close to citizens and enterprises. They would follow closely what was happening to the depositors and businesses whose funds they were carrying.
Today much of this work is done at a distance, via machines that distribute cash, phones which carry out bank transfers and recorded messages. Some consider that bank dealings are progressively becoming more efficient given how rapidly circumstances are changing and given the ever growing volume of business transactions. Others believe that banks have given up on the most important work tool at their disposal – that of “human intelligence”, with which to evaluate the dealings they go in for.
And there are yet others who argue that there can be no alternative to using the “distance” systems by which today’s communications are carried out. Technological advances are dictating how business gets done. Who ignores this, risks losing out totally.