What has happened to the Uk as a Manufacturing powerhouse? (1 Viewer)

We'll_live_and_die · Sep 24, 2012

I was just reading the story of a mass brawl at a factory in China.

2000 people were involved and 40 were injured.

LINKY

Wow 2000 people working at one factory that's on the scale of a car plant here in the UK so it's alot of people but not that many in terms of a large factory.

I then continued to read the story to see that this 1 facility employs 79,000 people. All this for a company called FoxConn. Personally I've never heard of them.

Can anyone tell me why they have 79,000 people employed at one factory when manufacturing in the uk is in decline?

Surely during a recession is the best time to reset the counters of the Uk economy. Why not reduce the minimum wage, reduce tax on things such as fuel, reduce income tax and reduce charitable payments/loans to super rich nations such as India. In doing so this country could once again compete with the likes of china and produce it's own goods. Imagine having just one factory here that employs 79,000 people and the difference it would make to the economy even if they were on minimum wage and Eastern European.

smouch1975 · Sep 24, 2012

Why! European Union and before that taxation policy

We'll_live_and_die · Sep 24, 2012

smouch1975 said:
Why! European Union and before that taxation policy

What do we gain from being in the EU? It's certainly not overinflated prices on our exported goods from what I see it serves no good for us.

Bobby Firenze · Sep 24, 2012

Is this thread a wind up?

Never heard of Foxconn?

Taxation and the EU to blame for the decline in UK manufacturing?

Whisky tango foxtrot.

We'll_live_and_die · Sep 24, 2012

Bobby Firenze said:
Is this thread a wind up?

Never heard of Foxconn?

Taxation and the EU to blame for the decline in UK manufacturing?

Whisky tango foxtrot.

Is that a wind up reply? You offer no answers. Just the same questions as I asked.

What is to blame for the decline of manufacturing in the UK Bob? If it's not for high taxation on fuel, wages and trade (VAT) and a high minimum wage, then what is causing the UK to be uncompetitive in the manufacturing of anything and everything?

Nick · Sep 24, 2012

I'd say it is down to cheap labour and in general money saving by shipping abroad.

It is all well and good saying that I want to give english people jobs but if I'd save millions of pounds by having it in China, what would you do?

wingy · Sep 24, 2012

Jesus Rich how much hardship are the lowest in society supposed to take? Cut the minimum wage? They're barely on £200 a week now ,take out a weeks rent ,transport to work ETC,just what would they be living for?Thats no life for anyone .I doubt anyone on minimum wage has the Skillset to function in the automated arena of Manufacturing ,and I guess my use of the word Automated gives a pointer that there are not the mass jobs required to produce what we proudly did inthe 50's,60'sand 70's

We'll_live_and_die · Sep 24, 2012

Nick said:
I'd say it is down to cheap labour and in general money saving by shipping abroad.

It is all well and good saying that I want to give english people jobs but if I'd save millions of pounds by having it in China, what would you do?

That's my point though. Surely if taxes were lower and the minimum wage for all the benefit spongers was reduced then we could compete with the likes of China?

We'll_live_and_die · Sep 24, 2012

wingy said:
Jesus Rich how much hardship are the lowest in society supposed to take? Cut the minimum wage? They're barely on £200 a week now ,take out a weeks rent ,transport to work ETC,just what would they be living for?Thats no life for anyone .I doubt anyone on minimum wage has the Skillset to function in the automated arena of Manufacturing ,and I guess my use of the word Automated gives a pointer that there are not the mass jobs required to produce what we proudly did inthe 50's,60'sand 70's

But like I said, we are in reccession, why can't we reset the counters of economy? If taxes were reduced then it would cost less to get the bus to work, it would cost less to pay for the fuel, it would cost less for spares, it would cost less for the bus driver to sit on his arse driving, generally everything would cost less.

You hint at automation, whatever Foxconn does can't be that automated if it takes 79,000 people to produce it's products.

wingy · Sep 24, 2012

Rich said:
But like I said, we are in reccession, why can't we reset the counters of economy? If taxes were reduced then it would cost less to get the bus to work, it would cost less to pay for the fuel, it would cost less for spares, it would cost less for the bus driver to sit on his arse driving, generally everything would cost less.

You hint at automation, whatever Foxconn does can't be that automated if it takes 79,000 people to produce it's products.

Surely the answer lies with currency Strength.There have been enough BBC documentories highlighting sweatshop conditions ,thats what it would take to compete i'm afraid.

We'll_live_and_die · Sep 24, 2012

wingy said:
Surely the answer lies with currency Strength.There have been enough BBC documentories highlighting sweatshop conditions ,thats what it would take to compete i'm afraid.

I just think the government could do something to boost the economy, like cheaper taxes on exported goods.

I don't have the answers, I'm just sure there must be something that could be done to help the country recover to the kind of industry it had years ago.

smouch1975 · Sep 24, 2012

They make touch screens for Apple

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn

Ccfcsj · Sep 24, 2012

I work for a manufacturing company. We employ over 22000 people and have a turnover in excess of £2bn. These are spread all over the UK (about 30/40 factory locations).

We also have many offices and factories all over the world. Profits for our company are increasing year on year.

Just shows that there are manufacturing companies in this country that are doing OK even in the current climate.

We'll_live_and_die · Sep 24, 2012

Ccfcsj said:
I work for a manufacturing company. We employ over 22000 people and have a turnover in excess of £2bn. These are spread all over the UK (about 30/40 factory locations).

We also have many offices and factories all over the world. Profits for our company are increasing year on year.

Just shows that there are manufacturing companies in this country that are doing OK even in the current climate.

Who do you work for?

Ccfcsj · Sep 24, 2012

A company called DS Smith.

They produce packaging materials. They also make plastic casings etc and have one of the countries biggest recycling arm. If you go into any supermarket, a large majority of the packaging material you see on the shelf is made by the company I work for.

Basically they create the goods, sell to the customer, collect waste from the customer, use this to create the goods etc (all round cradle to cradle process).

Ccfcsj · Sep 24, 2012

It was recently described in the city as the biggest company nobody's ever heard of

We'll_live_and_die · Sep 24, 2012

Ccfcsj said:
A company called DS Smith.

They produce packaging materials. They also make plastic casings etc and have one of the countries biggest recycling arm. If you go into any supermarket, a large majority of the packaging material you see on the shelf is made by the company I work for.

Basically they create the goods, sell to the customer, collect waste from the customer, use this to create the goods etc (all round cradle to cradle process).

So what's the trick, why are they doing so well? Sure I've seen the plant somewhere around, can't recall where though.

Ccfcsj · Sep 24, 2012

I wish I could answer that but I only work in the IT department. I leave the strategies etc to the powers that be

wingy · Sep 24, 2012

Rich said:
I just think the government could do something to boost the economy, like cheaper taxes on exported goods.

I don't have the answers, I'm just sure there must be something that could be done to help the country recover to the kind of industry it had years ago.

Its complex Rich ,tarrifs applied in the country of the end user can be prohibitive ,but currency is the simple tool to work with if you want to make products cheaper for export.However that brings its own problems ,Inflation,Balance of payments. It seems most Gov'ts are working in tendem over Currencies IE;printing money to devalue their debt mountain which Inflates away the Debt and I don't get how ours is remaining around 2.5% ,Maybe a problem for later. The World seems to have been carved up By the G20 ,Multinationals etc. It seems accepted that these conditions will prevail ,like the Far East is the powerhouse of the whole world economy ,the West fullfills the Technical/Finacial/Developmental criteria.
It could be argued that the East is going off the Hymn sheet and competing with us now on our percieved share of the pie, but eventually their own consumption and inflation should bring us back to a point where we become more competative again ,Full circle if you like .There are'nt many more zones of the world that these multinationals can exploit .The only thing this world is missing is confidense ,which evaporated about five years back ,I don't get why,everything seemed to be working well for ALL,the problems have only occurred as a result of this shift in mindset.

Macca · Sep 24, 2012

all great countries follow the same pattern. While its building up people will do everything they are told, accept how they live and that there are haves and have nots. Don t care about working conditions, do it all for the greater good. Once they see wealth being created they want a piece if the pie quite rightly. The desire to work at previous levels declines and the desire for a higher lifestyle increases. Then the power moves to the next country. People in this country were prepared to work hard for little reward like the Chinese are now.

Not right, but thats how it goes.

cloughie · Sep 24, 2012

Macca said:
all great countries follow the same pattern. While its building up people will do everything they are told, accept how they live and that there are haves and have nots. Don t care about working conditions, do it all for the greater good. Once they see wealth being created they want a piece if the pie quite rightly. The desire to work at previous levels declines and the desire for a higher lifestyle increases. Then the power moves to the next country. People in this country were prepared to work hard for little reward like the Chinese are now.

Not right, but thats how it goes.

As history shows quite correct and human nature to want more.

But also as history shows its usually those who have never been at the bottom of the rung and / or are at the top end of the earning bracket that advocate those at the bottom should take less pay , ie lower the minimum wage

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