Vol. 75/No. 44      December 5, 2011

Blood money is a term communist workers use to describe so-called bonus payments and other bribes from bosses or their government—which are often connected—pressing workers to accept speedup, wage cuts, concession contracts or dangerous working conditions. Contributions go to the Socialist Workers Party’s Capital Fund, which helps finance long-range work of the party.

“For the three-month period this bonus was calculated, the company reported 26 injuries,” Perasso explained. “The bonus was for production speed and ‘quality.’ Last month the company eliminated five jobs by moving that work to other jobs on the line and other pre-line assembly areas. This is on top of the 10 percent “productivity” increase last quarter and more job combining anticipated. Injuries have increased substantially in the last several months.

“I know of a torn tendon, carpel tunnel, a dislocated finger and a herniated disk,” continued Perasso. “When we go to the doctor for our injuries, it cuts into the ‘bonus.’ To discourage reporting of injuries, people are routinely placed back on the same job that injured them in the first place once the company doctor has declared them ‘healed,’ often resulting in reinjury. Those who request to see their own doctors are told they will lose their right to workman’s comp.”

Jacquie Henderson from Houston sent in $196, explaining that “this is the ‘bonus’ for what the company calls ‘safety, quality and production’—for not reporting accidents, for not getting your drilling pipe couplings rejected for flaws while producing more and more, working beyond your body’s limits six days a week. And for putting up with the lowered wages and worsening work conditions.

“One of my coworkers raised questions about these bonuses at a mandatory so-called safety meeting a couple weeks ago,” Henderson continued. “He pointed out that last year he and other workers worked so hard to make the company’s quotas. And then the company raised the quotas so this year we have to work twice as hard to make even less money in bonuses. ‘Isn’t it true that if we managed somehow to make these quotas we will be making even less next year as the quotas will continue to be raised?’ he asked.

“He didn’t get an answer,” Henderson writes. “Fortunately he is one of the growing number of subscribers to the Militant newspaper. He can read about the way companies across the country and the world attempt to bribe workers into silence with their blood money and about the growing resistance of workers like themselves.

“And I get to say what they can do with their money—put it to work ending this system of exploitation.”

—EMMA JOHNSON