DEPENDING on your point of view, trade unions either bring power to the people on the shopfloor, or hinder a company from reacting to changing conditions.
For a company that was on the verge of being squeezed out of existence at the start of the year, Wedgwood marked its 250th anniversary with suitable style yesterday. But in the great tradition of the pottery manufacturer, certainly in recent years, there may be a lot going on beneath the veneer of the message of a new beginning as it moves forward into a new future.
It's coming up to a month since KPS formally bought Wedgwood, and slowly edging towards the 40 days in which the new owners of the luxury firm would reveal their plans for the company.
It's amazing, if completely unsurprising, how the state of the economy can impact on a celebration. Take for example The Sentinel Business Awards.
I've been to finale of The Sentinel Business Awards for eight years now, and reckon last night's bash was among the most sober events I've ever seen.
But given the fact that the country is in the grips of a recession which apparently has plunged the world into its lowest economic position for 60 years, I suspect that most firms would not want to go overboard.
Wedgwood creditors were lining up to stake their claims at a meeting today as the wider fallout from the collapse of the pottery giant has become apparent. The Sentinel reported that 60 people - including individuals and those representing companies - went to the Britannia Stadium at the event hosted by administrators Deloitte.
