Are workers over privileged?

[Spartacus]

Tim.Gurner, Australian tycoon calls for  layoffs to fix workers attitude.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66803279

An interesting article which has gathered a lot of criticism towards Tim Gurner. 

His argument, in a nutshell, is that workers demand too much from employers and expect a company to bend over backwards for them. This, according to Tim, has been made worse following covid.

He believes higher unemployment rates will make workers keen to work for a company and less likely to demand more lenient working practices.

Looking from a worker point, I can see the anger this will cause, but understanding business I can also see the frustration employers face.

At the end of the day, a business is there to either make something, sell something or provide a service. The more demands a worker puts on the business, the higher the potential cost is to do business and the higher the end price to a consumer will be  

Are we starting to replicate similar issues faced in the 70s (British Leyland for example) where workers demands caused poor productivity and poor delivery? 

Without removing protection for Workers, is Tim Gurner right, wrong and do we need an adjustment between business and workers to rebalance expectations from both sides? 

[snowy]

Man who benefits from market forces doesn't like it when market forces affect him. 
 

He's a landlord, he doesnt make, or produce anything. He buys things using credit (unavailable to others) and then restricts supply to increase profit. 

Am i right to assume that your post was a polemic, otherwise you're almost both siding an argument for feudalism.

[Alan Medic]

How would he have become a 'tycoon' without workers? At the end of the day, a business is there to make a profit. Mostly for the owners of the business. There's nothing stopping either party parting company if they so choose. Perhaps there should be a recognition that they need each other......

[malumbu]

Rather a sweeping statement on underprivileged workers.  Comparisons with the 1970s pander to the GB news crowd, it's like comparing a small punch up at a lower division football match with 1000s scrapping at Man U away matches in 1975.  A different world and a different scale.

Working life in Australia is also very different in the 1970s they called striking the "English disease" where days lost through industrial action down under per worker were higher down under.

For many sectors we need stronger worker protection, and better pay and conditions - hospitality, catering and care being great examples.  Hands up who orders food to be delivered by someone on zero hours contracts.  Rather than government saying over 50s should become delivery riders, better if they said that Deliveroo should make their riders PAYE, give them training, ensure they use lights and night and don't ride illegal bikes (better still provide them).

[Earl Aelfheah]

Greater exploitation doesn't increase productivity (quite the opposite), but is can increase profit. He wants higher unemployment so that he can exploit desperate people for his own enrichment. He sounds like a typical Tory.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Earl Aelfheah