"TRAINING" SHOP STEWARDS by P,.Jones
An article in the February issue of the Manager, the journal of tho British Institute of Managoment, should warn us of a device that is likely to become increasingly popular among omployors — namely “training™ shop stewards, The article is written by the head of the department of "Commerce and Professional Studies" at Thurrock Technical College. He notes that day-release or residential week-end training courses for shop stewards are becoming more common at univorsities and tochnical colleges. among those to have run such courses aro Birmingham C.A.T., Slough College of Further Education, Luton Technical College, and others, The writor suggests that those course aro probably superior to those run by “interested parties", i.ce., by the unions thomsolves, Howovor this pscudo-objectivity scarcely succeeds in concealing the vory “intorosted" nature of the courses offored. But this time the “intorosts" eatorod for are not those of tho working class. Of his ow coursos at Thurrock the writor says: "Thoy have been supported by local firms including Mobil Oil, Teleflex products, London and Thames Haven Oil Wharvos, Grays Co-operative Socicty and Esso. Sovoral othor companios in tho collego's catchment area,including Shell Refining, have resorvod places for futuro courses,"
When the author quotes tho syllabus of the course offored one is not surprised by this support. Socction 4 reads:
“Making Monoy Work.
"Definition of productivity — The ordinary man's hopes and expecta= tions of industry - profits and thoir importance — tho demands on company profits - industry's contribution to tho welfaro stato - how industry is finanead - shares and dividonds - tho importance of savings."
This is clearly a brazen incitement to class collaboration, a “training" in hoary capitalist myths about “monoy™ workings "just" profit levels; "industry's contribution", otc. Other sections of the course have such redolent titles as "The valuo of sound objectives"; “Handling people", etc. The union movemont must . protect itself from these encroachmonts by expanding its own educational facilities and ensuring that "“acadomic" objectivity is not used to cloak capitalist apologetics,