Job flexibility has helped Britain weather the recession
March 17, 2010 by admin
Filed under Career News and Advice
A cultural shift in attitudes has resulted in lower unemployment than previous
downturns, says Tracy Corrigan.
By Tracy Corrigan
Published: 7:06AM GMT 17 Mar 2010
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Attitudes to work have become more flexible
Photo: PA
A British
Airways strike is about to disrupt Easter travel plans, further damage
the struggling airline, and harm the UK economy. The Royal Mail, despite a
new deal with unions, is struggling to modernise.
These stories of British industrial unrest in an economic downturn sound
depressingly familiar. But what if the BA shambles is not a microcosm of
national workplace relations, just a weird throwback? What if, contrary to
appearances, the “British disease” of the 1970s lingers on only in
isolated, once state-owned patches, where old habits die hard?
It may not be immediately obvious to the casual observer, but industrial
relations in this country are in remarkably good shape. Managers and
employees have cooperated to tackle the problems of a vicious economic
downturn. The quid pro quo has worked something like this: bosses
have beaten down costs, but, in many cases, have negotiated temporary plant
shutdowns, overtime and bonus cuts or three-day weeks, rather than slashing
jobs. The result is that companies have lowered costs, and retained the
capacity to increase production rapidly when the economy recovers. And
workers have tightened their belts, but kept their jobs. As a result, the
rise in UK unemployment from a low of 5.2 per cent to 7.8 per cent has been
far less dramatic than in previous downturns – and well below forecasts. …
Read the original article at Telegraph
