Labour Research June 2001

Reviews

Putting back the P in PLC

Will Hutton, The Industrial Society, 48 Bryanston Square, London W1H 2EA, 13 pages, A4 size, £10.00

The author argues that companies should be responsible not only to their shareholders as at present, seeking maximum profit and dividends, but also to their varying stakeholders - customers, employees, managers and society at large and communities. He wants the government to put corporate Britain on notice that, if companies are not systematically accepting their stakeholding responsibilities within five years, then the responsibilities will be embodied in a new companies Act.

The author does not make clear in what way the interests of employees should be better served.