Hundreds call for Wedgwood to be nationalised
HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition calling for Wedgwood to be nationalised.
Stoke Socialist Party has collected more than 500 names in support of calls to bring the 250-year-old ceramic giant into public ownership.
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Area organiser Andy Bentley says the Government should invest in keeping traditional manufacturing roles after spending billions propping up Britain’s banking system.
But business leaders today warned it would not make financial sense to nationalise the Barlaston firm, and investment from the private sector is needed.
Mr Bentley said: “The Government is willing to spend billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to bail out rich bankers, but they have not shown they are prepared to do the same for ordinary workers.
“I don’t see why the Government shouldn’t step in and save Wedgwood.”
“The Tory government of the 1970s stepped in to nationalise British Leyland, and Northern Rock has been nationalised, so it shows it can be done.”
Mr Bentley believes there could be more job losses if Waterford Wedgwood remains in private hands and that would mean the Government paying out more in Jobseeker’s Allowance.
The Socialist Party in Ireland has launched a similar campaign to nationalise sister company, Waterford Crystal.
Mr Bentley added: “If this Government is serious about wanting to save jobs, then how else is it going to do it?”
The petition has been launched as talks continue over Wedgwood’s future after it called in administrators in January.
Parent firm Waterford Wedgwood had debts of around £400 million and made a loss of almost £200 million last year.
It is understood U.S.-based private equity firms, KPS Capital and Clarion Capital, are both interested in buying the group, although it is not known whether they would cut jobs in the region.
Meanwhile, two cousins, who are direct descendants of founder Josiah Wedgwood, want to see the group split so they can take on Wedgwood and stop any more redundancies in Barlaston.
Stoke-on-Trent South MP Rob Flello said: “The issue with nationalisation is where does it end? If we nationalised Wedgwood then perhaps you should nationalise JCB, and then perhaps you should also nationalise Mockett’s Oatcake Shop.
“We have been forced to do it with the banks because if we didn’t support the banking infrastructure there would have been an impact across industry.
“Wedgwood was founded as a private company by Josiah Wedgwood and it has been successful and profitable for most of its 250 years.”
Bryan Carnes, chief executive of North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said private sector money is needed to secure Wedgwood’s future.
He said: “I think the Government probably has enough on its plate without considering the nationalisation of every struggling business.
“Where would it stop? Where would the money come from to pay for it?
“There is more likely to be a role for the private sector, which can pay more attention to the successful conversion of Wedgwood into a competitive force in the world marketplace.”
5 Comments
by Andy, Hanley
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 3:03PM
“Joss, the socialist party argues for nationalisation with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need. What does that mean? Ordinary workers who maybe have a few shares would be compensated for any loss but the rich owners would not need compensation and therefore would not get it.
David, the aim of the government and big business is to ensure that profits remain in private hands whilst losses are nationalised ie -heaped onto the shoulders of working class and middle class people to pay for.
This is why the socialist party does not want the government to run nationalised industries either and therefore agrees with you.
Therefore,we make a clear distinction between two basic types of nationalisation. Nationalisation carried out to benefit the interests of big business (ie the government's bail out of banks) and genuine socialist nationalisation where an industry or factory would be publically owned and democratically run in the interests of ordinary working people and by workers in the industry itself.”
by david, Barlaston hall
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 12:45PM
“Please no not the government running wedg . I don't have to say the rest we all know . The people who ran it for the last 20 years need to be renationalised
to another continent and stripped naked and left covered in honey next to a bear colonies front door . Could i have run wedg better they would ask "probably " i would reply”
by Joss, Newcastle
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 12:18PM
“How come we never nationalise successful businesses - but only lame ducks? I get sick of people banging on about Wedgwood as if its the Holy Grail of industry but failed management will never learn if they know that however much of a hash they make of thinhs the good old British taxpayer will bail 'em out.”
by Amanda, Hanley
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 11:57AM
“I am amazed by Rob Flello's comments. Basically he says its OK to hand over billions of pounds to bankers who have got us into this mess but do nothing but wait for someone on a white horse (from the private sector of course) to charging over the hill to 'rescue' Wedgwood.
He says it was OK to bail out bankers to ensure, "an impact across industry".
But its clearly not working. Jobs are currently disappearing at the rate of 1,600 EVERY DAY.
Presumably Rob Flello would prefer to see Wedgwood, JCB etc go to the wall rather than use public money to mantain what's left of our manufacturing base.
I think the socialist party's call for nationalisation of Wedgwood and other important industries it now what's needed”
by adam, meir
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 11:55AM
“seems to me that this article is talking about 2 different sorts of nationalisation. On the one hand the labour MP talks about the nationalisation of Northern rock - which really just put the companies debt on our shoulders. The bankers still get paid and yet they're still allowedthrowing people out of their homes for the mistakes of the bank and the government. On the other, the socialist party organiser is talking about the kind of nationalisation that we all see the benefit of. No bonuses to company directors, NO bad debt on taxpayers shoulders - just democratic running of a company by the public to save jobs!
its not like stoke has a safety net of skilled jobs for people to go in to. If rob flello gets his way, more people will lose their jobs and be thrown on the scrapheap.. not to mention jobs gone for the future generations.
time to step in and make sure whats left of the pottery industry remains for future generations in my opinion. not make quips about bailing out oatcake shops !?!
ill make sure i add my name to the petition next time im up hanley.”