Bombardier and Crisis Capitalism

Date:

Bombardier reported a profit of $125 million last quarter yet our media is telling us that the Company is in a serious financial crisis and that significant changes will have to be made to the workforce as a result.

Bombardier is "asking" their workforce to agree to a three-year pay freeze and to work an hour extra a week for free - on a Friday of all days.

They claim that this crisis has arisen from poor sales of their C Series jet of which the wings are made in Belfast.

The company's goal is to increase their competitiveness on the market. "Competitiveness" means a cheaper price on a product in order to increase sales which means that you either (a) have to reduce profits or (b) reduce what you pay to those who create the products, and therefore the wealth of the company which means that more money comes into the company and those at the top reap the benefits.

It would appear that Bombardier has gone for option (b).

In order for Capitalism to survive it needs a pool of unemployed and disorganised workers to take the place of other workers when those they employ get rowdy and start demanding demand decent labour rights or an equal share of the wealth.

With the current economic climate the options that Bombardier is giving their workers is "Either accept our crappy terms and be grateful you have a job to go to or we'll find someone else who will accept these terms."

This is what Capitalism is all about; the majority toil for a minority to lap it up.

The bosses tire us out with their work hours, the tedious labour, and any travel involved. Through the mainstream media they fill our brains with state sponsored propaganda designed to turn us all against each other; to keep the most marginalised in that position while simultaneously turning them into a target for us to blame instead of the real enemy.

There is enough for everyone to have a happy and comfortable life without having to spend our days working to make someone else rich. Unless we are organised, however, this goal will never become a reality; there is power in a radical and revolutionary union.

Full support to the Bombardier Workers!

WORDS: Fionnghuala Nic Roibeaird