Newsletter No. 26
JANUARY 2005
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Deregulated economies have more overwork, underwork More than a fifth of the labour forces of USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan works at least 50 hours a week, claims the International Labour Organisation. In contrast, only about one in twenty workers in Europe (with the exception of the United Kingdom) works more than 50 hours. The key factor driving overwork is the relatively limited regulation of working time in countries such as US, the UK and Australia, the ILO found. The flipside is the growing number of workers who involuntarily find themselves in part-time work with poor wages and conditions. The ILO found a substantial gap between hours people actually work and number of hours they need or prefer. For instance, half of all US workers want shorter hours while 17 per cent want longer hours (Working Time & Workers’ Preferences … http://www.ilo.org/ 2004). The last few decades globalisation has intensified competition, and in association with development of information and communication technologies and new patterns of consumer demand, impacted enormously on working time. As a result, people are working in increasingly diversified, decentralised and individualised ways. It has also increased tension between workers’ needs and preferences for their working time and business objectives. Another ILO study finds the world “full of anxiety and anger” as the overwhelming majority of the world’s workforce finds itself in a state of economic insecurity as a result of these systemic processes; and raises doubts over rich countries' ability to turn wealth into happiness (Global economic security in crisis ILO 12.1.05). ‘The longer the hours we work the greater the pressure on us to raise the efficiency of our free time”. Despite time saving technologies ‘our lives are still rushed — perhaps more rushed than ever’ (‘It’s time — we can’t get enough of it’ Ross Gittins SMH 28.7.04). ‘A preoccupation with working and consuming has robbed us of depth in our emotional lives’ says M Bunting. The prevailing values of market capitalism corrupt not just the public sphere, but the private. Work has intensified and more is expected of employees. We’ve internalized the need to work ever harder; the boundaries between work and other parts of existence have blurred; and we have absorbed the idea of efficiency so well it is applied to all of life (‘There’s no time for love and intimacy in our market driven lives’ SMH 18.10.04; also Willing Slaves Harper-Collins 2004). Workers, often professional or clerical, tend to work longer in firms that do not pay overtime. Changes in regulatory frame works encourage and legitimise an overwork culture that ‘ultimately benefits and is driven by management’ (‘Insecure workers on hours treadmill’ SMH 19.10.03 quoting D Peetz, Griffith U). The professional code — that you work until the job is done — is abused in an unregulated labour market. A perception builds that there is no choice but to work harder and longer, a view pushed by free market proponents. This ‘sap(s) a sense of hope out of the population’; but where employers pay overtime, they very care-fully consider the productivity ratio — that work becomes more inefficient as hours get longer. (‘Busy, busy, busy’ AFR Boss, Oct 2004 quoting J Buchanan, Sydney University). Deregulation steers many into long hours, hard work & high consumption life-styles. Long Commutes in sprawling car-oriented cities exacerbates this. Privatisation of infrastructure and services and growing inequality make it deadlier still. Home becomes the fortress of a self-centred, anxious & insecure middle class (‘Community: it belongs to the rich & fearful’ SMH 4.12.03). ‘In a rational & humane society, increasing productivity would translate into reduced (and more evenly shared) hours for an over-worked population. In a profit driven society (it) doesn’t occur’. ‘Overwork stunts the mind (and) gives no time for culture.. or time (for people) to fit themselves for worthy citizenship’ (Labor Day Reflection on Time P Street, Z-net). |