Letter from Bob Edwards in Harlow
Towards the end of the twentieth century, the opinion was that ‘robots would replace labour’. One example was washing cars. In the 1950s it was a weekend task done by hand and in the 80s and 90s something done at a garage by rotating brushes. Now it’s back to human labour, with buckets, washrags and soap! It’s cheaper because it’s cheap labour, mostly migrants, without any union conditions or rights. So no more investment in car washing machines!
That more or less sums up the dire position of the British economy. There’s no strategy by the capitalists to invest. Why should they, when they can drive wages and conditions to the bottom? But have no doubt, the ‘worm will turn’. In fact, it is already.
