With unemployment low and wages rising, the struggle for basic necessities like food should be easing. But those on the front lines of feeding the hungry say they are seeing the opposite.
That’s because the economy is strong… for the rich.
The problem is shareholders expect infinite growth from a finite space, and that growth has to come from somewhere.
If you’re already producing as many of your product, as cheaply as you can get away with, then the only thing you can do is charge more - but that strategy only works if the worker’s wages don’t go up with the profits.
As a result prices are going up, but worker’s salaries aren’t anywhere near as quickly, because the rich are scooping the extra cash and leaving all the working class to starve.
I’ve been working since the mid 90s and in the corporate sphere since the early 2000s.
From this experience I think we go through cycles. If you remember the 80s we had movies like wall street. “Greed, for want of a better word is good”
I think we’re around about that point again. I received a directive from way up top and it was about priorities. Profit, shareholders, reducing cost and then customers. Customers were last and employees not even in the list. Unironically straight up customers last no mention of employees.
Through the 90s it was quite different, investors in people was a big thing, there was a lot of focus on team dynamic, wage rises were good, fully comped end of year parties. This kind of thing.
Then I watched this very slow drift away from this. Entire departments and then offices being closed. Below inflation payrises becoming the norm and the bare minimum from the company. Legal minimum pension match, no end of year anything comped. If lucky you’ll get lunch at a corporate meeting.
The only thing that keeps me sane is the hope that we’re near the end of the cycle and things turn around. It’s depressing at this point.
That’s because the economy is strong… for the rich.
The problem is shareholders expect infinite growth from a finite space, and that growth has to come from somewhere.
If you’re already producing as many of your product, as cheaply as you can get away with, then the only thing you can do is charge more - but that strategy only works if the worker’s wages don’t go up with the profits.
As a result prices are going up, but worker’s salaries aren’t anywhere near as quickly, because the rich are scooping the extra cash and leaving all the working class to starve.
I’ve been working since the mid 90s and in the corporate sphere since the early 2000s.
From this experience I think we go through cycles. If you remember the 80s we had movies like wall street. “Greed, for want of a better word is good”
I think we’re around about that point again. I received a directive from way up top and it was about priorities. Profit, shareholders, reducing cost and then customers. Customers were last and employees not even in the list. Unironically straight up customers last no mention of employees.
Through the 90s it was quite different, investors in people was a big thing, there was a lot of focus on team dynamic, wage rises were good, fully comped end of year parties. This kind of thing.
Then I watched this very slow drift away from this. Entire departments and then offices being closed. Below inflation payrises becoming the norm and the bare minimum from the company. Legal minimum pension match, no end of year anything comped. If lucky you’ll get lunch at a corporate meeting.
The only thing that keeps me sane is the hope that we’re near the end of the cycle and things turn around. It’s depressing at this point.
deleted by creator
Go for it. We’re following your lead.