Workers 'still do unpaid hours'

[Amusing Scrotum]

It looks like we're going back in time (at least in Wales and London)....


Originally posted by BBC News+--> (BBC News)Workers 'still do unpaid hours'

Workers in Wales are continuing to do more unpaid hours than any other part of the UK apart from London.
Research by the Wales TUC shows almost one in five employees worked on average almost an extra day a week in unpaid overtime in 2005.

The trade union body has dedicated Friday, 24 February as its third "Work Your Proper Hours Day".

But the body added that employers across the UK are starting to tackle the UK's long hours culture.

According to the TUC's figures, across the UK, almost five million employees worked an extra seven hours 24 minutes per week for nothing.

In Wales, 199,000 (19.4%) workers put in longer still - seven hours 48 minutes - on average each week for no pay while in London the figure was even higher at 8 hours 12 minutes a week.

Employees in Wales are working an average six minutes extra overtime compared to last year, when they again were only behind London workers in doing the most unpaid hours.

Wales TUC head of policy and campaigns, Derek Walker, said: "Tens of thousands of workers in Wales are putting in up to an extra day a week for free.

"But there are now some welcome signs that some employers are beginning to realise that endless hours of unpaid overtime are often a sign of an inefficient workplace and not something to celebrate."

He added: "We don't want to turn into a nation of clock watchers.

"Most people enjoy their jobs, and don't mind putting in extra effort when there's a rush or an emergency, but that easily turns into the long hours culture of extra hours every week."

The official figures also showed that employees in small workplaces ( with less than 25 staff) were the least likely to work overtime for free.

The TUC estimates that if all those doing unpaid overtime worked it at the beginning of the year, they would not start getting paid until 24 February.

That is why it has designated that day as its third "Work Your Proper Hours Day" and, on that day, workers who do unpaid overtime are being urged to take a proper lunch break and arrive and leave the workplace on time.[/b]

Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4582502.stm).

As ever the TUC is extremely helpful in its solutions....


BBC News
The TUC estimates that if all those doing unpaid overtime worked it at the beginning of the year, they would not start getting paid until 24 February.

That is why it has designated that day as its third "Work Your Proper Hours Day" and, on that day, workers who do unpaid overtime are being urged to take a proper lunch break and arrive and leave the workplace on time.

How about going on strike and demanding that you aren't going to work on for free.

[ComradeOm]

I suspect that many of these working unpaid overtime are white collar workers on un-unionised sites.

[Sentinel]

Sadly not only in the UK. I live in Sweden and recognice the same pattern from my very own working place. Writing overtime hours is prohibited but the work has to be done, with almost constantly one or two men short because people get burned out and stand-ins are "too expensive".. an impossible equation for any logic thinker but not for the capitalists. Union reps are mostly threatened to silence.

If it is impossible they usually end up fired.

This really feels like traveling back in time. Recently, here in Sweden, the Service and Communication Workers Union representative Pelle Johansson was fired for publicly speaking up against his employer Connex about, among other things, failing security in the Stockholm subway.
What disturbs me most is that people are getting used to this 19th century behavior among employers. It is becoming the norm.. :angry:
This is the sort of thinking we should fight everyday, in every way.

[KickMcCann]

Originally posted by Red [email protected] 11 2006, 11:12 PM
This really feels like traveling back in time. Recently, here in Sweden, the Service and Communication Workers Union representative Pelle Johansson was fired for publicly speaking up against his employer Connex about, among other things, failing security in the Stockholm subway.
What disturbs me most is that people are getting used to this 19th century behavior among employers. It is becoming the norm.
I'm gonna make a wild guess and say that the social balance and worker's rights of the Scandinavian countries are quickly being erased without the presence of the next-door USSR to scare the shit out of the ruling class. Its one of those instances where just as the powerful gave people rights to keep them docile, they are now stripping them away since the threat for rebellion is almost nonexistent.

Here in the States its unbelievable how much people work without getting paid. Salaried workers not withstanding, I know quite a few of my fellow by-the-hour workers put in 10+ hours without proper compensation. When I point out to them that blatant abuse of labor laws at their expense, they act as if I'm speaking in a foreign toungue-the whole concept of worker's rights is missing in the minds of the American working class. In fact, many feel a sense of obligation and loyalty to their employers, as if they somehow deserve to work without getting paid. It's no different than an abused housewife justifying and supporting the beatings she recieves from her drunken husband. In fact such a mentaity is borderline feudalism.
Any mention of Unionizing is countered with a fearful plea for silence, its a dangerous idea, we'd all be fired. For being "big, tough American men" on the vanguard against "effeminate, east-coast liberals" these men are complete cowards in the face of the capitalist class.

[Severian]

Originally posted by Armchair [email protected] 8 2006, 08:52 PM
(from the article) "But there are now some welcome signs that some employers are beginning to realise that endless hours of unpaid overtime are often a sign of an inefficient workplace and not something to celebrate."
I would not count on the employers to turn down free labor if they can get workers to do it.

Just like union bureaucrats to try to convince the bosses that exploitation is not in their interests.

This scam is common in the U.S. too - a big one is "assistant managers" in fast food. These are people who in fact work, not manage, most of the time. But the employer are often able to get 'em to work long unpaid hours in the hopes of sucking up enough to someday become actual managers.

I don't think it's that common in industry. At least not in my experience.

[Sentinel]

Originally posted by KickMcCann+--> (KickMcCann) the social balance and worker's rights of the Scandinavian countries are quickly being erased without the presence of the next-door USSR to scare the shit out of the ruling class. Its one of those instances where just as the powerful gave people rights to keep them docile, they are now stripping them away since the threat for rebellion is almost nonexistent. [/b]

Indeed. The downfall of the USSR both demoralized the left and encouraged the oppressors here. The major Left wing party removed the word "communists" from their name and the word communism itself got stigmatized.
The few attempts to start using the label again are met with furious attacks from the rightwing as well as the reformists on the left.


many feel a sense of obligation and loyalty to their employers, as if they somehow deserve to work without getting paid. It's no different than an abused housewife justifying and supporting the beatings she recieves from her drunken husband.

What an excellent parable! I'll use that in future debates for sure. :)


Severian
"assistant managers" in fast food. These are people who in fact work, not manage, most of the time. But the employer are often able to get 'em to work long unpaid hours in the hopes of sucking up enough to someday become actual managers.

I was always wondering about those dudes on McDonalds :P I recognize that, even though under a different name, from my own working place (on a passenger ferry).
The bosses trying to divide the employees by giving them different ranks.
Another common feature is letting people work as stand-ins for someone one step above them (the assistent manager's assistent gets to do assistent manager).
In fear of losing this opportunity they keep kissing ass. Divide et Impera.

[Amusing Scrotum]

Originally posted by Severian
I don't think it's that common in industry. At least not in my experience.

The construction industry, at least from what I know, often makes people work past their set hours so that jobs can be finished on time. I know a few people who work for free before and after their shift, tidying etc.

[WUOrevolt]

Wal Mart makes people work unpaid hours in America, and hundreds of thousands in America each year are fired for participating in union activities in America.