On 22/12/2015 7:18 AM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On Tuesday, December 22, 2015 at 6:49:47 AM UTC-5, Bruce wrote:
>
>> Didn't the US always have strong labor unions?
>
> Mainly in the manufacturing (and public) sector,
> and generally not in the South. Laws (bought and
> paid for by union dues) in the North favor unions;
> laws in the South don't.
>
> The U.S. government is actually fairly weak, compared
> to other countries' governments. It's designed into
> our Constitution. "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
>
> The Constitution has (IIRC) nothing to say about labor law.
>
>> Why do they allow Walmart
>> to pay employees too little to live off?
>
> Because Walmart's employees are not unionized,
> and Walmart busts any attempt to organize.
>
> Walmart likes to give people part-time hours, so
> they are not obligated to pay health benefits, etc.
>
>
> Cindy Hamilton
>
In the UK they have the scourge of zero hours contracts.

"A zero-hour contract (or low-hour contract) is the name given to a type
of contract, where the employer purports to have the discretion to vary
the employee's working hours, usually anywhere from full-time to "zero
hours". The employer typically asserts that they have no obligation to
provide work for the employee. The employee may sign an agreement to be
available for work as and when required, so that no particular number of
hours or times of work are specified. The employee is expected to be on
call and receives compensation only for hours worked."

Graham