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The UK has only had a minimum wage act since 1998. So it might be better now, but taking a larger context window… not so much. However, the social benefits aro
by mikrl 3y ago
The UK has only had a minimum wage act since 1998. So it might be better now, but taking a larger context window… not so much.
However, the social benefits around leave etc are definitely better but this is perhaps because of a more homogeneous culture than the US where some states like to work their fingers to the bone, and some states are more relaxed. The UK is definitely work hard, play hard and the only national variation seems to be the work getting done (blue vs white collar in US terms)
- twixfel 3y agoThere are more to worker's rights than the minimum wage, and saying that "The UK has only had a minimum wage act since 1998." as if its evidence for poor worker's rights in 2023 (or at least worse than the the US's) doesn't really make sense, firstly because that was 25 years ago and plenty can change in that time, and secondly because we are comparing worker's rights in 2023, not 1998.
- mikrl 3y agoSo you don’t think that having a shorter history of certain workers rights is also a proxy for current workers rights? That you can just wave a magic legal wand and go from zero to workers paradise in 25, 50, 100 years?
- twixfel 3y agoTo be honest I'm so baffled by the idea that the US has better worker's rights than the UK that I scarcely know where to begin. For what it's worth, Sweden and Denmark do not have minimum wages even today. So no, it's not a hugely useful proxy, otherwise according to you the US may have better worker's rights than Denmark (trivially false).
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]