HOW far has society really moved over the past century?

The thought occurred after recently reading the book, the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

Written by Robert Tressell, it was published posthumously in 1914.

Tressell, who worked as a painter and decorator in Hastings, tells the story of a group of housepainters in an imaginary town of Mugsborough who are struggling to survive.

The constant battle with the bosses holding the upper hand is vividly illustrated — the representative of middle management, Hunter, creeping around the building trying to catch someone slacking, so they can be dismissed and replaced by a worker on a lower rate.

The job was hard but dismissal plunged families further into debt and destitution. There was no safety net.

The workers have constant debates about their lot, usually at lunchtime, with the skilled worker and socialist Frank Owen pointing out how the workers collude in the creation of their own situation by doing nothing to change it.

The arguments that poverty is caused by migrant workers, automation or terms of trade go back and forth during the lunchtimes.

Owen describes the bosses as the idle, exploiting the workers simply due to their own power by providing employment.

The book makes for a fascinating read, with Tressell taking a humorous note at times. However, what is striking are the parallels with today — in particular the debate about the poverty of those in work, paid hardly enough to survive where the sack means destitution.

Today increasing numbers of people in work resort to foodbanks and sometimes foodbanks even being set up at workplaces.

In the book, workers shiver at home, struggling to heat houses, with young children often wanting for food. Ring any bells?

Some families even give up and kill themselves.

Today, more than 2.5 million go to foodbanks amid a society with 200-plus billionaires in residence — their mass wealth acquired at the cost of the many.

It would be wrong to draw exact parallels between a situation of 120 years ago with today but in many ways things do seem to be heading back in the same direction.

There were no such thing as a pensions in the early 20th century which arrived in 1911. Weekend pay and paid holidays did not exist as they do today, nor did the health service and welfare state. All of these benefits were fought for and won over the following century.

The trade unions played a huge role in achieving greater workplace justice, proving that workers coming together in a collective organisation could assert their power and get change. The individual worker could no longer be easily picked off.

Much has been achieved and the Labour and Liberal parties instigated social change.
The danger though is taking all of these gains for granted, thinking they can never be taken away.

However, these basic rights can easily be removed, as the country today moves today back toward a time of servitude and poverty being dealt with via charity, rather than social justice.

Today, Britain is the fifth-biggest economy in the world, yet millions struggle to feed and keep themselves and their children warm — in-work poverty is a norm for many. It is a national disgrace.

There needs to be a fundamental shift of power and wealth away from the few to the many.

The move to turn back the clock must be resisted. Collective organisation via trade unions, community groups and political parties all have roles to play.

There needs to be a fairer settlement for all in this country, based on justice, not charity.