Another Birmingham company located in Great Barr is being shut down by its US owners, with a loss of more than 200 jobs. The production is being moved to Germany. Simple economics? Maximum profits? Cheapest labour?
The ownership of the company which has acquired a number of companies of British origin. You can’t tell these days. Even the household name of Cadbury’s migrated across the pond benefitting that predatory buyer more than the people who worked in the industry. A company supported by British workers for generations.
As for movement of Capital and Labour, it’s the European Union, another Capitalist club, which has made provision for this. Again to the the benefit of the owners and to the detriment of the work force. In 1970 the British economy was built on 80% productive manufacturing, 20% service industries, largely unproductive. Thatcher resolved to deal with the “enemy within” following the success of the British workforce supporting the beleaguered miners in 1972, notably at the Battle of Saltley Gate in Birmingham. Out went baby with bath water, Rather than try to restore the situation, New Labour went along with Thatcherism, intensifying the move to privatisation. Today they support the cuts agenda which allows huge sums of public money to go into the pockets of big business – which is likely either to be, or become under foreign ownership. When will the lesson be learnt?