So What if Siemens and ATOS are Sister Companies

The loss of 1400 skilled jobs at Bombadier, Derby, and the Sieman's connection has far-reaching consequences for disabled people. The fact that Siemans is a partner of ATOS is immaterial; capitalist organisations merge and all forms of partnerships are formed. This is the nature of capitalism - merge or be merged.

I'd me more concerned about the fact that yet more skilled manufacturing jobs are to be lost because of the contract to build trains for use in this country is going abroad, and that our government is not protecting jobs in this country. As the unemployment queue grows, so the opportunities for disabled people to compete for jobs diminishes. 

Couple the demise of our manufacturing base with the, ever growing, closure of household high street shops; then add the hundreds of thousands of public sector joining, and soon to join, the unemployed; and, disabled people would be forgiven for despairing.

What chance do we have of finding decent jobs? Whereas once we could look to local authorities for employment; this source of employment is rapidly drying-up as the numbers of those employed in the sector drop; and, as departments see their budgets slashed, so they're less inclined to employ people whose employment requirements may cost them money.

The relationship between Siemans and ATOS is too me secondary to the British government not doing its job properly. The Germans and French would not allow such important domestic contracts to be awarded to another country; no, they would interpret EU completion rules to favour their domestic employment industries.

By all means attack ATOS; but, as disabled people we need to look at the bigger picture. Personally, on this issue I'll reserve my energies for fighting against job losses in this country rather than looking for links between capitalist concerns. So, let's all join in the fight to get the government to reverse its decision by awarding the contract to Bombadier.