Re:What workers want: raises that beat inflation
by mox1 on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @12:00PM
(#31755014)
I really think decoupling health insurance from employment would go a loooong way to fixing some things and be such a long term beneficial thing.
I'm not sure the best way to do, but I would love to see it happen.
Re:What workers want: raises that beat inflation
by charlie0 on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @08:13PM
(#31761080)
I would also add that stock compensation needs to be vested over a longer period. This would help discourage short term thinking.
Re:What workers want: raises that beat inflation
by kelseyfrog on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @11:38AM
(#31754621)
German readers, in your opinion, a Betriebsräte deal with many of these problems, no?
Re:What workers want: raises that beat inflation
by 7steps2much on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @02:45PM
(#31757449)
Well, not necessarily. In terms of raises/salary increases that's more of an issue for the unions than the Betriebsrat, since it usually concerns a whole industry and not just a single company.
As for the "valuing workers over shareholders" stuff ... Well, maybe? To be perfectly honest this isn't really what a Betriebsrat is about. I mean sure, they do have some influence, but in general their territory is more in terms of company operations, less in terms of how much is paid out to shareholders.
To be perfectly honest the Betriebsräte are facing much of the same problems that most other elected bodies are facing in the western world (or at least Germany). Sinking voting share, less and less people caring about it and as they kind of loose some soft power.
They still have the hard power guaranteed by law of course, but their soft power is essentially waning.
Re:What workers want: raises that beat inflation
by kelseyfrog on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @05:07PM
(#31759498)
Thank you for the perspective. It helps to know more about the successes and failings of institutions before I go about suggesting their use. :)
He isn't saying: We want a profit sharing agreement instead of salary.
He's saying: Extra salary that is immediately covered by the company raising the cost of their goods (rather than say - reducing executive pay, removing middle managers, or making less money for shareholders) doesn't get us where we need to go.
Because if the cost of buying all your goods is going up in direct relation to the raise in salary, (and this is happening across the market: inflation) - you aren't really getting a fucking raise at all. You're just floating.
The answer instead (at least in my opinion) is to change tact on how companies prioritize.
1. Workers need to be valued above shareholders (drive long term growth rather than sacrificing the golden duck for next quarter's profit)
2. Discrepancy between CEO and average pay needs to be curtailed - the current balance is driving a huge wedge into the relationship between a company and its employees.
3. Remove the inappropriate leverage that companies wield by controlling your healthcare/medical insurance costs
4. Remove pools of labor that are self-defeating: Jobs that pay so little the employee must be subsidized by government programs to live (think walmart/uber/etc) The best course of action here is likely labor movements (unions)