tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249851329008146395.post7395470269013670104..comments2023-10-30T09:11:12.922-07:00Comments on Clouded Outlook: UK unit labour costs increasing at almost 5 percent a yearAlice Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05753570123987780947noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249851329008146395.post-91176336040752931732009-03-31T07:58:00.000-07:002009-03-31T07:58:00.000-07:00There is a third thing employers can say: "we...There is a third thing employers can say: "we cannot give you a pay raise in this environment". There is an interesting graph in this link about <a href="http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/29/mccain-redistribution-not-okay-when-rich-not-getting-the-money/" rel="nofollow">worker productivity</a> (this link is a bit old as it was written October 29, 2008) in the US for the past 30 years.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14984816975862460493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249851329008146395.post-11938158759247679412009-03-31T08:28:00.000-07:002009-03-31T08:28:00.000-07:00If they had, they would have expected prices to fa...<i>If they had, they would have expected prices to fall, and they would have moderated their wage claims.</i><br><br>How can you "moderate" your wage claim when:<br><br>1) Management raises their wages by double-digit percentages even though the business they run goes in the shitter.<br><br>2) The taxes you MUST pay and the things you MUST buy (food, energy, transportation, e.t.c.) goes up faster than your sucky salary.<br><br>3) In case of <i>"we cannot give you a pay raise in this environment"</i> the workers can decide to do shoddy work, steal more and be sick more often - to compensate. Yeah - you will get fired eventually but it's just a McJob anyhow, not a life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249851329008146395.post-43262586688019384392009-03-31T10:09:00.000-07:002009-03-31T10:09:00.000-07:00If you reduce your staffing levels and your overhe...If you reduce your staffing levels and your overheads remain the same then your Unit Labour costs will rise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249851329008146395.post-39878490627709333542009-03-31T10:12:00.000-07:002009-03-31T10:12:00.000-07:00anon 18:09Not quite. Fewer workers means a lower ...anon 18:09<br><br>Not quite. Fewer workers means a lower wage bill. If you produced the same output with fewer workers then your unit labour costs would go down.<br><br>AliceAlice Cookhttp://ukhousebubble.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249851329008146395.post-71365773364695016812009-03-31T10:16:00.002-07:002009-03-31T10:16:00.002-07:00Really good companies should actually embrace the ...Really good companies should actually embrace the drop in productivity.....<br><br>Before sacking people, why not take some people off teams so an individual team has restored its productivity, and then use that 'spare mantime' for R&D, or other endeavours with a longer term outlook.<br><br>Or, similar idea but do something like google and allow people 20% of there work time to work on 'long term' projects.<br><br>When you sack someone, you might? save cash, but you are also losing a knowledgeable employee that knows YOUR business.<br><br>I bet every company out there has a least 1 employee with amazing ideas that would make big improvements on the bottom line / customer base given half the chance.<br><br>Sadly, I suspect most UK employee's are getting very bored at work, with too much time on there hands worrying about being sacked and feeling very helpless. WHAT A TOTAL WASTE of great people (and money)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249851329008146395.post-2368861263256699172009-03-31T10:16:00.001-07:002009-03-31T10:16:00.001-07:00Worth making the distinction that you can have def...Worth making the distinction that you can have deflation (asset) and inflation (price), at the same time.<br><br>It's a lose/lose combo!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com