XXXVI 25th January 2005
The farmerʼs store of implements is far ranging. He is of course also a smith, an electrician, a hydraulics engineer, a mason and a carpenter. Our stock of equipment has risen continuously. Not only the large machines doing the main work but subsidiaries: from a container on wheels with a rolling belt in its bottom shelf, known as Piast, used for spreading lime, to a mole for cutting 50cm below the surface water courses which retain moisture in the soil, or a 600 kg roll attached behind the plough and known as Campbell to even out ploughing, and many others. Every year new machines are produced to make farmerʼs work easier or more productive, they certainly are not cosmetic and one pines to acquire them. We also have transport-train of two cars and four tractors, so that repair and maintenance is our constant occupation with timing once again dictated by weather, usually done when it rains.
One lives in a community where everyone shares same problems, many of which cannot be resolved in oneʼs own estab- lishment and are taken to local workshops or tackled with outside mechanics and advisers. The community is often generous with advice, and if sometimes envious or suspicious, it is better, like music with some counter-point variations. We are getting on, without our team being asked anymore “why are you working so hard - not for yourself”. We have become a team, J -, D - and I, working for satisfaction of work, as well as for its benefits and with an aim of producing wheat with optimism.
An essential condition facing a person in society today is of either being employed, or becoming through no fault of oneʼs own one of the unemployed. The disparity of attitude to the two groups, a deferential recognition of one and a kind of pariah status of the other, reflects societyʼs respect for employ-ment and for active life. When at work we have seeming- ly a solidity: for those for whom life means action the world is a stage on which to enact their dreams. Even if only very small dreams.
For the same society to deny employment to groups of people is therefore tantamount to an aggression against human dignity and human rights, which is detrimental to the mind set of individuals within the deprived group and destructive of society at large. The threat of unemployment is therefore an unnecessary big stick to keep men working to the bossʼs orders: in a modern world full of work and men desiring to do it. Only an extreme juxtaposition of money for unemployment, often the condition of the wealthy, giving a sense of false freedom to get away from work, could destroy it. Workers everywhere recognize this and fight for work, harder than for their conditions. The great minersʼ strike in England in the seventies was an example and its successful conclusion was in no small way due to an understanding of this by British society. I, like many others, took an active part and on its successful ending was favoured by Executive Committee under Joe Gormley with a minerʼs lamp, engraved with thanks, which remains my proud possession. Much was lost in later years, as unemployment grew, with a loss for Britain.
A modern society cannot any longer deprive a group with- in it of its right to work and a structure needs to be found to solve it. Leading economists have acknowledged the relevance of such moral dimensions in economics, while the old rational human action is increasingly criticised. The Idsanist proposal stemming from the recognition of human dignity as axiomatic is to introduce a practical solution, in the form of what can be called a Work-Zone (WZ). The concept assumes that it is possible - to solve the problem once and for all - now, when the world can evaluate it, totally, acting in the knowledge that it can afford it for the first time. It requires a social organisation such as a health service, or national education, or library service, fire brigade, or the police, by forming Work-Zones which will be centres of work for those who cannot find it in the industry or business outside. There would be such a centre in every locality, guaranteeing work to everyone over the age of 18 and before retirement at 65.
The Soviets tried to solve the issue and no unemployment existed under communism, but they did not find a proper industrial solution and it was one of the causes of their financial collapse. They dealt with it as primitive societies have dealt with it before: when there was no work in the village, everyone slowed down, or all had a festival. The WZ concept is different, by being a national service, financed under its own ministry - from taxes. It is not intended as a production unit, its produce not being for sale, in order not to compete in the local market. The produce generated will be for disposal in underdeveloped areas, or of a low commercial value, experimental and outside contemporary requirement, or even being destroyed. It is a service, like fresh water service, which has to be budgeted and paid for, designed to protect: the pride, spiritual development and independence of a large section of the population, in which many are the young, in order to preserve and enrich the health of a society.
A Zoner, participant of a WZ will become a term of pride, replacing the odious “unemployed” definition. The zonerʼs duties would be to attend his WZ, on the same basis as a worker in industry, being paid the national established minimum wage, likely without increments, but receiving holidays and benefits, appertaining to industry and commerce. He or she would attend a full standard week, as agreed within WZ and relish the work of his choice diligently, the financing of which would be helped by the disappearance of unemployment benefit and a budget from the WZ Ministry.
The Work Zone Centres could be areas of many specia- lisations and some may develop more in one direction or another, but their essence would be to provide and establish employment, making available all experience - from blue to white collar occupations. In the sixties a service of Adventure Playgrounds (Jardins Robinson in France) was formed to lift children and youths from the depressing drudgery of English and French towns, and those who were close to it, some of us in Fulham, saw how much good it could do and how quickly, financed by Greater London Council. It energised men and women of highest quality to provide leadership, as WZ centres would be likely to do, by creating leaders: the Chief, as an inspirer: introducing the dignity of work and creativity without exaggeration of the profit motive: a chair being made again to sit on and not as money. The Chief, also a boss, would have to ensure that the “work ethic” is present in his WZ. It is appropriate that a zoner could choose his occupation, and if a WZ was not able to provide facilities, he might have to adjust his aims, or even be bussed to another centre. In the freedom to choose any trade or occupation, or sport, one could visualize the premises becoming as large as this dayʼs commercial emporiums.
It could happen that private firms would search there for special talent or that the unions could use it as a safety net, for negotiating wages elsewhere and a come and go rhythm would establish the rules, to provide equitable and practical solutions, not more so than between private and health ser- vice doctors or dentist at present. One speculates that WZs could be the direction of the future, as generally men are replaced by machines and computers, as work hours shorten and holidays increase. Marx maintained that labour - forced, unspontaneous and waged work - would be superseded by self-activity. Eventually he hoped there would be a time when ʻmaterial production leaves every person surplus time for other activities.ʼ Occupation will again become more important as activity, not solely for making money. One is tempted to say that man does not need to produce anymore - machines will do it for him; he needs to enjoy work as part of life as many do already - that is the future in which rewards may be sourced on other basis than production. With threat of unemployment removed, new forms of relationship would be to the fore. The most advanced countries already enjoy much higher degree of social trust and workers could find that, under the influence of WZs, the work would move to be structured in the same way: for variety and satisfaction, as well as for best productivity, with improvement of both.
World production potential is now so enormous that there is no fear that an occasional slowing down, caused by this new service, would affect it. In fact creating more employment rather than waste on street corners will enrich us. The way will open to a new beginning of a society without fear. Above all it will remove the areas of moral deprivation through hopelessness, and whilst not everything will be changed or improved, nevertheless “the crooked timber of humanity” would become a little straighter. There will always remain a group of people who do what they do for themselves, without expectation of reward from society, which anyway usually finds a way to reward them. These may be amongst artists, writers, churchmen of independent views, travellers, thinkers, or even beggars, all men who need to be free, to do or not do their own thing, even egoistically, to fulfil their personality and ego. It is good that they should always remain with us and WZ will not interfere with that. They will pick up their security in a freedom of disengagement.
In 1947 I was working, as a student, during the office practice year, on rebuilding of Bristol, beautiful and much bombed city, when an economic crisis struck the country, with great shortage of steel. Many contracts were cancelled everywhere, with architects being dismissed, and when I was called by my boss, W H Watkins, to his office, I entered it with a certain trepidation. He asked me to pull open drawers holding drawings in cabinets lining his office, and to look: I saw offices, cinemas, hospitals, houses, schools and much else from places in Devon, Cornwall or Somerset. He turned to me after a while and said: “each one of these is a job and a friend - never fear we shall always have work for you, stay confident”. We kept in contact, and I always remembered his drawers. There is plenty of work in Britain, lets just open the drawers, not only here but the world over.
