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8
Because of technical problems at our first meeting we were a week behind the other groups, yesterday we were able to devote sufficient time to be able to get up to date.
In our discussion on TNC's in our country it is important to remember that whenever we discuss such companies it is always in the context of successive British government's policy of adopting policies that favour the interests of the "City of London" by maintaining a high interest rates. This has meant that there has been a consistent erosion of a UK manufacturing base, and to some extent replaced by foreign owned TNC's.
Ford, GM, Peugeot,BMW, Toyota Nissan,Exxon, IBM, Rhône Poulanc, Glaxo, Proctor & Gamble, Hoechst, Unilever, British American Tobacco, SmithKline Beecham...........
Sectors:
Automobiles, Chemicals, Computers,Pharmaceutics, Energy, Banking, Insurance, Brewing
From:
USA, Japan, Germany, France, Korea
Workers
Unable to answer this in detail, but felt that in general there has been an increase because Japanese companies now have significant productive capacity so as to take advantage of EU and some other European companies have chosen to close factories in their own countries and to set them up in the UK to take advantage of the relatively low employers social charges.
Trade Union Right:
In general yes, but it is important to note that Shell has de-recognized trade unions.
Environment:
Yes
Lobbying:
At present there is a lot of pressure coming from some TNC's that the government should be part of the "Single European Currency"
ICI, BTR,Barclays,Zenica, BP. Sainsbury's, British Telecom.........
Sectors:
Pharmaceutics, Banking, Energy, Chemicals, Insurance, Telecommunication............
Where:
USA by far the largest, but in most other areas in the World.
Trade union rights:
No precise information
Environment:
No ex Shell in Nigeria, BP in North Sea
Lobbying:
Free movement of capital
Government
- Offers incentives,( we discussed an article that had appeared the "Financial Times" today, which reported that currently there is competition between the regions for these incentives which are called "Regional selective assistance" and that between 1996 & 97 this amounted to a total of £422.84m, Scotland received the most £152.24 with Wales second with £106.94m there are 12 regions and the East received the least £3.18m.
- Not as far as we know
- No controls
- This has happened frequently in Ireland
- Less now that we have a Labour government
- We think so but have no definite information
Trade Unions & Community Organisations
- Insecurity of employment because of TNC's demerging, buy selling some parts of their businesses to buy up others.
- When the above happens we try to maintain national collective agreements.
- Not sure
- Friends of Earth, Green Peace, Local government and the Church.
Page 4
- which shift capital and production globally
- Yes, because with this communication they can access information more speedily.
Page 5
- Dont agree with this statement, sited Shell as an example
- By being the recipients of state subsidies
- They can and do control the desinies of whole regions in terms of employment and prosperity.
Page 6
- Because of industrial development and empirealism
- Varius reasons: eg low wages, no trade unions, access to markets........
Page 7
- Similar in structure in the sense that they are companies with many divisions, but different in as much that Unilever also ownes and producies the primary products for its production.
Links Conserning this summary
Study Circles other summaries
[Session 1]/ [Session 2]/ [Session 3]/ [Session 4]
[Session 5]/ [Session 6]/ [Session 7]/ [Session 8]
[Evaluation]
Summaries of session 2
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