THE last Tory government and the current New Labour one have said similar things to British workers about the need for a 'flexible' labour market, and both have supported the maintenance of industrial relations legislation which continues to breach the Charter of the International Labour Organisation.

Anybody imagining that this is a recipe for prosperity should consider the closure of the Siemens silicon chip factory on Tyneside. Opened within weeks of the New Labour landslide, the company refused to recognise trade unions.

In 1997, Siemens made £1 billion profit worldwide. Their top British director was paid £306,000 in the same year, and the Tyneside plant met every efficiency target.

Despite all this, it is set to close and 1,100 jobs will be lost with a knock-on effect in supplier factories.

The recession which started in the much praised Asian 'tiger economies' is now knocking at the doors of Western Europe, threatening ruin and misery for millions, and yet we are still told that socialism is outdated and irrelevant.

ROGER BANNISTER, UNISON National Executive Council Member (personal capacity), Admin Road, Kirkby.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.