So when General Motors determined to close its Oshawa plant at the end of 2019, laying off the last remaining 2,600 personnel in the process, as reported last November – the same plant that had employed more than 23,000 in the 1980s – it was no surprise that there has been no serious attempts on the part of governments to intercede on behalf of the employees or public. And this was for a good reason; they couldn't.
The constitution/charters/social contracts actually do not provide regulatory power for governments over corporate decisions and actions. Therefore, corporations are all but autonomous. And, once the market has dried up, they just move on like nomads. Corporations though, do indeed respond to their shareholders and they had better do, or else shareholders will also just move on to more prolific global grounds.
The taxpayers of this country – who lent corporations scores of billions to stay afloat earlier – have nowhere to go, as they are expected to hold the fort and pay the piper. Faced with the grim realities of this era – as practically the last batch of major industrial corporations (beyond GM) flee this country, leaving behind social-economic, environmental and climatological desolation – many justifiably worry about the bleak future.
Federal party leaders are once again busy – in light of the upcoming federal election – trying to shore up their dismal track record, having been branded by critics as either "deficit spenders" or dogmatic practitioners of "austerity" measures. (See more about the policies of deficit spending and austerity in our other blog posts.)
Veteran, non-ideological problem-solvers – with a "one in a million calibre" classing – have found that the governing socio-econo-political decision-making system and processes lack direct input/control by employee/labour (the productive elements of society), embodying the majority of the public. Hence the process cannot be considered democratic. This void, produces autocratic decisions, causing catastrophic results in the process.
In this context, a few points of advice to the wise political leaders, who strive to become the next PM:
- Democratize the socio-econo-political governance/decision-making system/process – that ignores labour/employee input – to avoid further deterioration of the already grim situation;
- Declare a Wanna Sell in Canada? It's Contingent to Job-creation policy;
- Pledge to enact a "Livable Income" law to cover all standard costs of living – i.e. $42,000 p.a., for an established household of two adults, residing in the Waterloo, Ontario region, and the like – that would render employees/retirees and others practically "self-reliant";
- Pursue policies of collaboration vs. disruptive, hostile and costly competition, at all levels;
- Reject "austerity" as a folly that further worsens the country's problems (and instead);
- Apply "deficit spending" – which is a proven/productive way to mend the country's many social-economic ills and infrastructure needs – since the process "creates new assets";
- Resolve the country's governmental "revenue deficit" problems by:
- Optimizing the "income/wage-scale", considering all social-economic factors and the interests of all three sectors (i.e. government, corporate, and labour/employee/consumer);
- Revising the tax-formula to suit all necessary governmental fiscal policies;
- Present a realistic socio-econo-political agenda – complete with cost-benefit analysis – that addresses the crucial issues the country is facing, and spells out how each leader intends to resolve the same.
Probing the public sentiment on this country's state of affairs, has generated the following observations,narratives and questions:
- Pundits insist that the economy is doing fine. The jobless rate is low and there are positions waiting to be filled.
- Reality, however is that:
- Business owners, in scores, along with middle and working class people are losing all they have been long working for. Some of these MORs turn to their elders and – in a not so subtle manner – prematurely claim their inheritance; hoping against hope to survive.
- Corporations have billions of “excess cash" – by paying exploitative wages at the supply side, yet charging excessive prices at the retail end – and are willing to share the lucre with their shareholders. What about "us" employees and consumers?
- Proxies/lobbyist for corporations/business, demand an action-ready competitive/submissive "labour-force", suited for the era of globalism. What's next? A return to slavery?
- Government leaders – having taken a "facilitator" approach, as the socio-econo-techno transformation role unfolded during the past 50 years – still haven't formulated a sound "proactive" program to address the tragic aftermath, as:
- Millions of adults without post-secondary education are considered unsuitable for employment. So, how will they earn a living? Is there nothing to do in this country?
- Over 50 percent of the employed live from "pay cheque to pay cheque”, without any financial reserve to rely on;
- Home-ownership is no longer affordable for the vast majority of the public;
- Families earning less than $40,000 p.a. cannot pay their rent;
- Innovation – an essential element of the much needed progression – must be utilized, not simply as a "money-maker", but as an instrument to deal with the country's many needs.
- A few renowned scholars – in this intellectual vacuum – in a "joint venture", should produce a "Socio-econo-political Guide" and save the future of this country.
Summary
To avoid a future of economic and social crises, this country needs a negotiated system of governance that is in a coequal position with corporate/business and labour/employee/consumer elements of society if it wants to survive.Must Read:
- Capitalism, by author Jonathan Portes, a UK economist who writes about "how and why capitalism works." On the other hand, he also describes a “pretty dismal prospect.” ... "The real test, (as he put it) will be whether our political and social institutions are up to the challenge."
