Originally Posted by Gilles de Rais

Any impact?

The minimum wage, for one.

Quote:

Visible in the way that public sector pensions, shit as they might be, are still better than private pensions. Non-unionised workers are definitely easier to fuck.

Well that's fucking obvious. Vae victis. Why don't you blame the capitalists whop;ve taken 90+ percent of the pie instead of those who managed to hold on to what little they had?

Quote:

So, actually, in reality, I am worse off. All I can hope for and pray for is that my career somehow corrects itself during the big saving phase of life (45 yo to 60 yo).

Well unless you're on a nurses wage of £19k or so, thats still not really true. And I've pointed out myself that the combination of making workers easier to sack in the name of "flexibility" while simultaneously shifting pensions from the state to those companies is pretty foolish, but that's where we are. But put the blame where it is deserved.

Quote:

It's two things. I don't want to pay the dues and I don't want to spend the time in endless meetings.

About £5/month? And if this is too much, you then want them to help you for free?

Quote:

I tried (briefly) to involve myself in local politics in Paris 11th area (and was told that being a member of the Socialist party meant I had to be a member of a union - although the leader, a young guy - was willing to overlook that 'requirement'. And they were calling me 'comrade'... That's the soft left!). But clearly, the leader was that young guy and all he really needed was people to do his legwork while he and maybe a couple of other guys climbed the greasy pole of party politics. Our political 'ideas' or comments were never going to amount to anything meaningful.

Well I sympathises - it's laregly why I was turned off by the Labour party. But so what? You;re still syaing you were happy to leave other people to do wthe heavy lifting and then you ciomplain when they don't bend to your whim.

Quote:

No, they're not peasants. They're cathedral masons. I have no say in whether I want a cathedral or not. Or how much I might want to spend on it. But my taxes are funding the damn thing, that's for sure...

And the obvious answer is: organisem yourself. The onl'y effective remedy workers ever have is their own autonomous organisations. And now you complain that they are in fact effective, and that they shopuld all be draggted down to your level! It;s not even as if the proportion of your wealth taken by the state is anywhere as large as that taken by your employer, but that's an enemy it seems you're unwilling to confront.

Originally Posted by contracycle

The minimum wage, for one.

I thought that was simply a New Labour initiative. If the unions were instrumental, I'll take back what I said.

Quote:

Well that's fucking obvious. Vae victis. Why don't you blame the capitalists who've taken 90+ percent of the pie instead of those who managed to hold on to what little they had?

One, I blame them too. A movie can have more than one bad guy. Second, I am not so convinced that it is so "little". Sure, everyone bang about hard done by nurses and stuff but, clearly, the state machinery is wasting billions on managers and consultants and high ranking 'fat cats'. Surely some savings could be had at that level?

Quote:

And the obvious answer is: organise yourself. The only effective remedy workers ever have is their own autonomous organisations.

I'd like to but, again, people seem to fail to notice that I am The Saviour, Come Again. It's irritating but I'll try harder.

Quote:

It's not even as if the proportion of your wealth taken by the state is anywhere as large as that taken by your employer, but that's an enemy it seems you're unwilling to confront.

1- I've spent years complaining about the inequality gap. We can check my P&CA posting history, if you insist.

2- I remember you saying something about the exploitation rates being something like a factor of 5 and I always thought it just didn't make any sense when profits margins are, on average, between 10 and 15% (of revenues/sales).

__________________
Unless otherwise specified, I am posting as a regular poster. When I will act as a mod, I'll make sure you're in no doubt.