It is time our workers had the same rights as the rest of the EU

IF there is one thing worse than finding you have lost your job two weeks before Christmas, it is hearing it on the radio rather than directly from your boss.

This is what happened to workers at Luton's Vauxhall plant last Tuesday.

But they were not the first. And they won't be the last - not unless the Government drops its shameful block on new rights for workers in this country to be told of company plans and to be consulted about them... rights that workers enjoy in most of the rest of Europe.

Workers at Coats Viyella in Hinckley found out their jobs were under threat when they got text messages on their mobile phones from friends and family who saw the news on Teletext. And everyone at Longbridge knows that BMW would never have been able to get away with keeping their German workforce in the dark about plans to sell a major plant to an asset-stripper.

Many parts of the economy are doing well. But we have just suffered one of the worst weeks for manufacturing jobs since Mrs Thatcher was in power.

Luton's shock announcement came hard on the news that Ford is to stop making cars at Dagenham. Many people expect Nissan to announce that the new Micra will be made in France. It is an open secret that two of our remaining steel plants are under threat.

AND job losses in textiles occur week in, week out without making the headlines. Large scale manufacturing plants now seem to be an endangered species. Crisis is not too strong a word.

Not all job losses can be prevented, but multinational companies always have choices. Too often they are cutting jobs in Britain, and are putting major investment decisions on hold.

A big problem is that no-one knows when or even whether we will join the euro. We cannot expect to be the preferred option for companies wanting to sell to the huge European market if we cut ourselves off from the single currency. The Tories and Euro-sceptics must take their share of blame for the manufacturing jobs crisis.

But companies also know that it is quicker, cheaper and easier to get rid of staff in the UK.

They don't have to keep workers informed about what is going on in the company, nor do they have to consult with staff before implementing closures and major changes. As Luton's Vauxhall workers have discovered, the view from Detroit is that Britain is a soft touch when it comes to cutbacks.

Big companies cannot get away with keeping their workforce in the dark elsewhere in Europe. It is not some Europe-wide bureaucratic system, each country does it differently.

But large companies must tell their workforce what is going on, sometimes through a works council elected by all staff, sometimes between management and unions. In Germany workers even elect directors on the supervisory board. It was those worker directors that stopped BMW's first attempt to shut Longbridge, giving British unions and the community a breathing space to get their campaign ready to save the plant.

This does not mean that no factory ever closes in the rest of Europe or that no one ever gets made redundant. But it does mean that bad news does not come as a bolt from the blue as it did in Luton, and it can provide vital time to explore alternatives.

Europe has long wanted to extend these principles to every EU member country. But up to now the UK government has given in to big business pressure and said no.

On Wednesday government ministers have a chance to put that right. That is when European ministers will meet at the Social Affairs Council in Brussels.

Proposals to extend information and consultation for workers have been on Europe's agenda for five years. Most countries back new rights as they already have their own better systems. Disgracefully, their most determined opponent has been our government.

Business call these rights red tape, and say they would harm the economy.

But telling staff what is going on is no burden. Firms that trust their workforces and take them into their confidence perform better. The new rules will not affect small businesses as they would only cover firms of more than 50.

As the toll of job losses mounts, there is real anger at Labour's stand. Trade unions simply do not understand why our members should be treated in this shoddy way, and why Labour rejects every opportunity to do the decent thing. It is intolerable that British workers have second-class rights.

My message to the Prime Minister is clear. British workers are fed up with being kept in the dark and treated like mushrooms. Europe wants to let in the light. Mr Blair should stop blocking them.

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