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Re: [OM] Working hours

Subject: Re: [OM] Working hours
From: James R <londonjames@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 3 May 2009 22:53:26 +0100
I've long thought that capitalist economies (and I'm thinking of  
'advanced western' economies here) should switch to a four day working  
week. From my rather thin knowledge it strikes me that even in good  
times unemployment is typically stuck at a minimum rate of about 5  
percent and rises a good deal in times such as we are living through  
now. Having those in employment working long hours just reduces the  
overall number of jobs the system can support, which surely must  
increase unemployment and therefore the tax load on those employed. As  
our populations age it would also allow people who are currently  
forced out of work when the are deemed over the hill by our youth  
infatuated cultures to continue working longer if they so desired. I'm  
not convinced that everyone's standard of living would drop by 20  
percent if they did work a day less as huge money-pits such as  
mortgages are dictated by people buying homes for the maximum they can  
possibly afford. If earnings were lower then property prices would drop.

There are obviously instances where this wouldn't work and people who  
would want to work more for whatever reason, but if it became the norm  
I don't see why a self-correcting economic system could rebalance  
itself with a shorter working week.

James


On 3 May 2009, at 17:04, Jan Steinman wrote:

>> From: John Hudson <BZ4G@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>
>> Hours worked and seniority are, or should be,  inversely related and
>> seriously so. Senior positions in any business should be in the 60 +
>> + hours
>> a week. Less than that and one is slacking off or freeloading.
>
> It might have been nice to see "I think" or "in my opinion" in there
> somewhere...
>
> I think almost the opposite.
>
> Those who have become more efficient and knowledgeable should not have
> to work so hard to achieve the same result, no? Po*, why not strive
> for "equal results" and "equal compensation," whereby the master
> provides direction and correction, and the apprentice provides brawn
> and grunt work. Then the master can go fishing, and "work" on more
> important things, like what is the meaning of life, and why do people
> work like insane fools until they're continuously tired, so that some
> day they might have the luxury of being, all of a sudden, complete
> leeches on the system, when they become re-tired? :-)
>
> I think retirement requires some serious training, and I'm trying to
> become a partial leech before having to become a complete one.
>
> *Eduard DeBono has proposed the neologism "po," used like "so," to
> describe a purposely provocative position, meant for opening
> meaningful dialogue, rather than as a proposal to be implemented as- 
> is.
>
>
> :::: In a low-energy future... the wealth of nations will be measured
> by the quantity and quality of their forests. -- David Holmgren ::::
> :::: Jan Steinman, http://www.EcoReality.org ::::
>
>
>
> -- 
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