Another phase in my Leftwards journey

A theme which may come up many times in this blog is the way in which my personal politics are changing.  I'm definitely more left-wing than I was in the past.  I wrote a previous blog post about how the 'Millennials' identify politically (and another still about who the Millennials actually are) and the lack of certainty about where we stand politically definitely carries over to me.  However, I reached new territory today.  Possibly for the first time ever, I actually agree with something the TUC (Trades Union Congress - England & Wales' federation of trades unions) have said.

Today I read this article in the most unabashedly left-wing of newspapers, The Guardian.  In it, the TUC's General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, argues that the reason why productivity levels are still low despite rapidly falling unemployment is the

"result of too many low-pay, low-skill and low-productivity jobs in low-investment workplaces".

Frances O'Grady

I still generally view these kinds of jobs as better than no jobs at all, however somehow it rings true.  Someone recently tried to persuade me that the new plans of the Liberal Democrats to increase paternity leave by 4 weeks would only be affordable to large corporations, but not to small businesses.  My response to criticisms like these is much the same as my response on the kind of issues that O'Grady is talking about.  Namely, if a business can only compete by providing poor working conditions, it's the business which needs to change.  We should not tone down any ambitions for a fairer society to placate those who are providing these low-value jobs.

The changes which O'Grady is pushing for (chiefly a rise in the minimum wage: her article was entitled 'Why Britain needs a pay rise') and the kinds of changes desired by the Liberal Democrats (at least until a future coalition leads to their abandonment) quite possibly will be tougher on small businesses.  This is a fair criticism up to a point, but the introduction of almost all workers rights that already exist were tougher on smaller businesses too, and I can't think of too many of them which we would willingly give up!