In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

I think its a bad idea

scottm21166scottm21166 Member Posts: 20,723
edited September 2006 in General Discussion
I have to take an entry level social science class (125)employer employee relations...for my degree path...
this teacher showed us a tape from this guy named riddle who proposed 30 hr work weeks as a solution to unemployment. He claimed the tech sector would reduce demand for workers and automation would eliminate
the rest of the blue collar jobs. he sumised a 30 hr work week would give more people a job and that the money to keep salaries the same could come from unemployment tax reduction for the employer.

for every 6 40 hour per week workers you could have eight 30 hour per week workers....
what problems do you see with this plan

Comments

  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,046 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ASK THE FROGS, THEY TRIED IT
  • rogue_robrogue_rob Member Posts: 7,033 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    well how are those 6 40 hour workers going to make up for a week's pay a month?
  • zipperzapzipperzap Member Posts: 25,057
    edited November -1
    Do well in school - sacrifice, make some effort to excell.

    Work like h*ll for thirty years.

    Retire.

    It works![:D]
  • scottm21166scottm21166 Member Posts: 20,723
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by zipperzap
    Do well in school - sacrifice, make some effort to excell.

    Work like h*ll for thirty years.

    Retire.

    It works![:D]

    I don't have 30 years...one of the kids in class told me that[:D]
    I have to remember what I thought of 46 year olds when I was 18...too funny
  • Red223Red223 Member Posts: 7,946
    edited November -1
    Bad Idea.

    According to our Govt. we don't have unemployment as a problem thus why we need these 20 million illegal immigrants in our country.


    I propose deporting those 20 million illegals to end unemployment. They ain't paying into our Social System...only leaching from it.
  • spryorspryor Member Posts: 9,155
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Red223
    Bad Idea.

    According to our Govt. we don't have unemployment as a problem thus why we need these 20 million illegal immigrants in our country.


    I propose deporting those 20 million illegals to end unemployment. They ain't paying into our Social System...only leaching from it.


    Agreed!!
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,527 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    How are the 8 employee's going to survive on 30 hours pay? The employer is smiling because no benefits need paid for part time workers.
  • nomadictaonomadictao Member Posts: 1,310 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    scottm21166 quote: he sumised a 30 hr work week would give more people a job and that the money to keep salaries the same could come from unemployment tax reduction for the employer. You should have told him unemployment tax is much smalled than the %25 of wages he is proposing, he needs to find it somewhere else. Maybe out of his own pension?
  • 11b6r11b6r Member Posts: 16,584 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    File he video under F for fruitcake. Automation will replace all blue collar jobs. R I G H T ! Just wrote the check to pay the gent that cleans my chimney- and HE had to delay for 2 weeks due to workload. Now go hire a plumber, a mechanic, an electrician- and tell me how cheap automation has made it! The expert might also check the unemployment rate in the US. The key is having a skill to sell. Seen many tool and die makers that are in the unemployment line? Construction (heavy construction, not homebuilding) has a decent rate of pay, and a SEVERE shortage of skilled labor. He may also want to take a look at the average AGE of the US workforce. In another 3 years, more than half will be over 45. Look at the birthrates (and dates) for the Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen y. Sight unseen, will bet you a beer the expert has no- and has never had- a callous on his hands. That would have meant he actually worked for a living.
  • WarbirdsWarbirds Member Posts: 16,938 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Scott- I would bet ten to one odds that Riddle developed his theory in the development of a graduate or doctoral thesis for an MBA or similar degree. If that is the case, it does not need to be correct, only well written, with an effective use of citations. How will the tech sector reduce demand for workers? If how, then what kind of timeline are we looking at? 2 years or 20 years? And the very foundation of his proposal is that we do in fact have an unemployment problem. Banks have been onto the 30 hour workweek for twenty years. The majority of bank employees work a 30 hour week, and as was mentioned by someone else, it benefits the corporation, not the bank employee. Finally someone else has already mentioned the French economy and how well it's worked out for them.
  • elkoholicelkoholic Member Posts: 5,130
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Dave W.
    Scott- I would bet ten to one odds that Riddle developed his theory in the development of a graduate or doctoral thesis for an MBA or similar degree. If that is the case, it does not need to be correct, only well written, with an effective use of citations. How will the tech sector reduce demand for workers? If how, then what kind of timeline are we looking at? 2 years or 20 years? And the very foundation of his proposal is that we do in fact have an unemployment problem. Banks have been onto the 30 hour workweek for twenty years. The majority of bank employees work a 30 hour week, and as was mentioned by someone else, it benefits the corporation, not the bank employee. Finally someone else has already mentioned the French economy and how well it's worked out for them.


    Dave has nailed it...

    Besides, why fix something that's not broken. The current unemployment numbers are approaching the "theoretical" minimum. Meaning some % of workers will always be looking for work no matter what. The bigger problem currently is underemployment which this theory does not address.
  • 11BravoCrunchie11BravoCrunchie Member Posts: 33,423 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by zipperzap
    Do well in school - sacrifice, make some effort to excell.

    Work like h*ll for thirty years.

    Retire.

    It works![:D]


    If it comes from Zipperzap, I'll believe it.
  • scottm21166scottm21166 Member Posts: 20,723
    edited November -1
    what would that do to infrastructure adding 33% more workers to traffic jams?
    who would pay for benefits?
  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,298 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Democrats would argue about not being able to make a 'living wage"
    They would tell us about the average amount of overtime has increased significantly.
    They would then "Blame Bush"

    Employers would see a much higher cost for vacations, health insurance, and other benefits as their number of employees swelled. THis would inturn give the employeer a great reason to increase productivity by increasing automation. The employeer would then NEED less employees. Little significant change to unemployment.

    The educated would be paid more for higher specialized jobs. THe uneducated laborer would find more competition at McDonalds. Again, the democrats would blame President Bush for a great disparity between the have and have nots.

    America has the highest productivity and takes the least amount of vacation in the modernized world. America also has the lowest unemployment. If unemployment gets much lower, there would be a situation of underemployment. Employers would have to artificially increase wages to compete for labor.

    There is nothing wrong with the current system and the current level of unemployment.
Sign In or Register to comment.