As L.A. ports automate, some workers are cheering on the robots

Re:As L.A. ports automate, some workers are cheering on the ... by SPascareli on Sunday November 10, 2019 @09:22PM (#21501638)

> On of the consequences of low union rate and very low wages is that the op ex of having an employee in the US is cheaper than the cap ex of automation.

Are you saying that ports in China have high wages AND high union rates compared to US? Because even if that was true, it didn't stopped them automating the ports.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:As L.A. ports automate, some workers are cheering on the ... by gumby on Sunday November 10, 2019 @11:35PM (#21502175)

Good point I was talking about OECD countries, basically.

China has a different problem, though related. Of course unions are illegal there ("not needed -- the communist party represents the workers"). But they have a large pool of uneducated very low cost labor they are trying to keep out of the cities (e.g. via Hukou system), trouble with controls on things like "shrinkage" (containers help a lot here) and yes, relatively high wages for the workers who are in the port cities (working in factories and white collar jobs).

[ Parent | on HN ]