The strikes at the Lindsey oil refinery, in Lincolnshire, feel like an important mood indicator of the country. There is anger about companies possibly illegally hiring workers from certain countries mixed with economic insecurity. This makes the strikes completely understandable. It is how they are bringing back Brown’s ill-advised phrase ‘British Jobs for British workers’ that is worrying. Fearing for your job will bring out a lot of things. Anger at those you may take your job is certainly understandable. As is the desire to demand for action that’ll protect your job. Brown’s phrase acknowledged these sentiments in 2007, before there was a recession and before people has so much to fear. The problem is that now people will be pushing for action. Action that will mean protectionism. Strikes in France have called for this already and clauses in Obama’s stimulus package include measures such as only buying American tools. Such actions are only going to make economic circumstances worse everywhere, see the Depression-era ‘beggar thy neighbour’ policies to see the best indictment of protectionism. Brown has to be brave and stand up to such sentiment.
This is the first blog by Mo Danyal Shaid, BULS Treasurer
