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Monday, 22 February 2010

Bullying: The Real Scandal

In 1994 I got a job at a newly opened supermarket on the outskirts of Derby (I'll refrain from naming the firm - we live in litigious times). The wages were utterly shit (£2.21/hour starting rate for 17 years olds, going up to a whopping £2.63 when I turned 18), the company was crap, working hours long and hard, and the store management were awful. They were always looking for more reasons to find fault, bully and intimidate. And it was young folk and women who especially got it in the neck.

This more than anything else taught me that class mattered. If you have to work for a wage, you place yourself on the pain of dismissal at the mercy of those who manage your labour. Now if that isn't a recipe for abusive and exploitative relationships, I don't know what is.

Thanks to these experiences, even just thinking about workplace bullying makes me angry. So what do I make of the accusations made by a dodgy-looking "charity" that claim Gordon Brown has bullied prime ministerial office staff?

Well, they piss me off. Not because the credibility of the National Bullying Helpline is seriously suspect. Nor because the Tories, who are looking to score off a cheap attack, conveniently and hypocritically forget a bullying scandal of their own. And as heartily sick as I am of the personalist and, yes, bullying attacks on the person of Gordon Brown, that hasn't worked me up.

What has is how workplace bullying is being used as a football in the daily kickabout of pre-election politics. If, for instance the Tories gave two shits about it at the very least we're entitled to a serious examination of the link between workplace bullying, macho management and the erosion of workers' rights that took place under their watch. Any chance of that? Not on your nelly.

And before any Labour readers start feeling smug, it is an uncomfortable truth that this government has done little to redress the situation. Indeed, Brown has presided over far more serious cases of bullying the right and the media are more than happy to cheerlead. That's to name but two.

That's the real scandal here, not some half-baked accusations cynically released to damage Labour's election campaign.

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10 comments:

  1. Giles Bradshaw22 February 2010 at 20:10

    "So what do I make of the accusations made by a dodgy-looking "charity" that claim Gordon Brown has bullied prime ministerial office staff?"

    Hang on wasn't it Rawnsley that made bullying claims against Gordon Brown?

    I didn't think the Charity had actually claimed it had received calls about bullying by Brown Specifically?

    I have no idea if he is a bully but I would have thought the potential for a PM to put extreme undue pressure on staff is definitely there.

    IMO number 10 should be setting an example to other employers by taking any claims that there are seriously and investigating them rather than being so self defensive about it.

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  2. Brother G22 February 2010 at 20:29

    I don't know what all the fuss is about, bullying builds character.

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  3. Phil23 February 2010 at 10:04

    I am in two minds about this one, Giles. An inquiry might clear the air, but isn't that a tacit admission that all is not well, which in turn damages the government in an extremely tight race? Especially as the charity itself turns out to be a commercial front?

    And really, outside of Westminster does anyone really care? See how quickly the story's been dropped.

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  4. ray23 February 2010 at 12:42

    Outstanding! You have really got to what matters here. Like lots of other human failings we all have the potential to be bullies (and victims). The trick is to establish the kind of social/economic relationships that don't favour it.

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  5. Imposs190423 February 2010 at 17:41

    " The trick is to establish the kind of social/economic relationships that don't favour it."

    By joining the Labour Party?

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  6. Phil23 February 2010 at 19:36

    Socialism is a struggle, Darren. The moneyless society won't fall from the sky or come through a SPGB parliamentary majority!

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  7. Anonymous23 February 2010 at 20:37

    best of luck with labour party work phil. i hope the left makes serious gains after the election, with labour most likely in opposition. no idea if that will happen but best of luck.

    are you a member of the campaign for labour party democracy?

    congrats on becoming a doctor as well.

    best wishes,


    ks

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  8. Imposs190424 February 2010 at 03:22

    It won't come via the Labour Party, Phil. We both know that. No exclamation mark needed.

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  9. Phil24 February 2010 at 08:57

    True, but I'm not in Labour because I think it's the vehicle of the socialist future.

    KS, I'm not a member of any Labour party faction yet. I'm more interested in the job at hand at the moment. How about you? Do you fancy joining up?

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  10. ID25 February 2010 at 16:34

    "An inquiry might clear the air, but isn't that a tacit admission that all is not well, which in turn damages the government in an extremely tight race?"

    Is this not the problem with supporting Labour? You end up defending the indefensible for electoral reasons. This is a classic example.

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