Comments on: Protest against UBS taking cleaners’ money

By: Sandy Gray

Sandy Gray — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:47:39 +0000

RT @libcon: Protest against UBS taking cleaners' money http://bit.ly/9O3Ow0

By: tim f

tim f — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:56:37 +0000

No, the problem here is victimisation. The problem is the attempt to break cleaners’ organisation & intimidate others from demanding fair wages by taking out a key player. It’s not market logic, it’s just power politics & greed.

By: David Smith

David Smith — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:09:34 +0000

I suspect the whole problem here is that although the cleaners are being paid more per hour they are now expected to do the same work in less time as a result they end up earning the same as before the pay rise. If you look around at all the cleaning going on in the London banks then I think you will find that cleaning costs have gone down over the past ten years for all of them as they insist on getting cheaper and cheaper cleaning. I have a view on bankers and bonuses but let us just say that I believe that the cleaner is a more valuable member of our society than any of these bankers.

By: Solomon Hughes

Solomon Hughes — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:50:17 +0000

I am not sure how convincing Tim’s suggestion that the invisible hand of the market is punishing the cleaners for their pay rise – “The price of labour rises- Less labour is used” – really is.
This would imply the higher the wages and salaries go , the greater level of unemployment – it was the argument against the minimum wage. But in fact countries or areas with really low wages have really high unemployment, much higher than countries or areas with good rates of pay. And the better paid trades and professions experience much lower levels of unemployment than the low paid unskilled : there are more unemployed pickers and packers than unemployed doctors. You will find a lot more labourers signing on than lift engineers. I think this is much more a case of the visible hand of the market – in the shape of UBS and their subcontractors (Lancaster & Mitie) trying to take revenge for their defeat.

By: tim f

tim f — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:44:18 +0000

So if that’s all it is, why was Alberto in particular sacked? Just coincidence?

By: Tim Worstall

Tim Worstall — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:40:39 +0000

The price of labour rises.

Less labour is used.

Wow, who could have predicted that one?

By: N E Services

N E Services — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:03:34 +0000

Liberal Conspiracy » Protest against UBS taking cleaners' money: As Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) announce quart… http://bit.ly/dBv3wx

By: Liberal Conspiracy

Liberal Conspiracy — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:08:42 +0000

Protest against UBS taking cleaners' money http://bit.ly/9O3Ow0