OCCUPIED COUNTRY

I Could Die in your Arms Tonight

Here's a snippet from *those in the know* off the BBC website.:-

"What are the implications for the UK now it seems to be in the firing line?

Britain is already deeply committed, materially and politically, to the American approach to the "war on terror". The Istanbul attacks are likely to increase this. The signs on the US president's state visit to Britain are that the US-UK special relationship is stronger than ever.

The UK was always a likely target for terrorist attacks because of its closeness to the US. Security in Britain is already massively heightened. Terrorism specialists say that these security precautions are excellent. It is though part of the nature of terrorism that security is never 100%."

(My emphasis)

This fine country of ours has spent the past decade "outsourcing" and sub-contracting every aspect of business that wasn't considered as *core*.

This, obviously, included Security. As an active Trade Unionist, I was involved in a bitter and hard fought dispute with the company I work for, to stop the "outsourcing" of the security function. After 3 or 4 years long struggle: we lost.

Nowadays, I bet there's not a sizable employer in the country who still directly employs their own security, fire or health staff. Practically every man jack of 'em will have shipped these functions out to some *facilities* company. All of them provided by a profit-motivated organisation whose main motivation is....well.....errr.....profit.

So they employ CHEAP labour. Labour that couldn't give a shit. Seriously. Labour that "goes through the motions". Labour that is paid barely above the Minimum Wage and, generally is contracted for 6 months at a time, thus saving the employers a fortune in sickness pay, holiday pay and, when the time comes, redundancy pay.

I work for a major company that is involved in the Military sector - a company that, literally, employs many 1,000s of people all over the world. A company that *outsourced* its Security about 10 years ago. I've lost count of the number of different firms who have since taken over the role. I've certainly lost count of the number of different personnel who have inhabited the entrances and exits to the factory.

I've also, most definitely, lost count of how many times I've been able to simply walk in the place WITHOUT showing any ID; or the number of times I've been stopped in my car for a cursory glance in my boot [trunk] - (I could have had WMDs on my back seat - they were "only instructed to check boots"). Unless, of course, there was an Audit of the Security *function*, or a visit by a *VIP*. On those occasions the security could only be described as *excellent*. If any subversives decided to bomb the place when there were no VIPs or audits, us "common folk" would've been well and truly bolloxed. Still. What do we know eh ?

I know this, Industry in the UK - whether public or private - couldn't give a shit if their outsourced, sub-contracted security staff were blown to Kingdom Come. Well.......they "weren't directly employed" were they ? So "where's our responsibility" ? "Surely it's up to the firm that directly employed them to compensate the remaining relatives" ? "So, you see, legally it's not our problem. Although I am sure we can furnish some desultory sum to the "appeal fund" that Gwendoline in Accounts has set up".

So: security in Britain ? "Massively heightened" ? MY ARSE !

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Dearest and I had a night in tonight with a bottle or two of "Mighty Murray Red". We watched a DVD of the Coen Brother's excellent "O Brother Where Art Thou".

A "so-called" "Good Time Movie" that dwelt upon the hardships of America's darkest days - the Depression.

We enjoyed it - but what *really* made it was the Old Timey music, the Blues and the Bluegrass and the rest.

I AM a man of constant sorrow.