3 ms·

Americans can’t afford to strike like that.

esseph 9mo ago
Can't afford not to.
linkregister 9mo ago
You're most likely correct; I originally started writing this comment to refute your statement, but found that my assumptions appear to be wrong. Americans have the nearly the highest nominal and PPP income of OECD countries as of 2024, only behind Luxembourg, Iceland, and Switzerland [1]. India experiences substantially higher shelter and food insecurity and poverty rates than the United States. However, tech workers in Bangalore are paid an order of magnitude higher than prevailing local wages in other sectors, at around ₹2M (₹20 lakh) [2]. Median annual rents for 2BHK (2 bedroom) apartments appear to be around 1/10th of that figure at ₹3 lahk in desirable neighborhoods [3]. It appears to be reasonable for a technology worker to be able to perform a sustained strike. I have never personally traveled to Bangalore, though I have lived in places where cost of living is under a tenth of median American income. I invite correction by people with first hand knowledge about cost of living in Bangalore. 1. https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/average-annual-wages.html https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/average-annual-wages... 2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/median-tech-pay-in-india-declines-sharply-us-hits-new-highs-report/articleshow/124856820.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/median-te... 3. https://www.birlaevara.org.in/best-areas-in-bangalore-for-rental-returns-and-passive-income.html https://www.birlaevara.org.in/best-areas-in-bangalore-for-re...
- leosanchez 9mo ago
  > It appears to be reasonable for a technology worker to be able to perform a sustained strike. I don't think the strikes are done by tech people at all. Just normal workers.
  - linkregister 9mo ago
    Then indeed these striking workers are doing so bravely, especially in comparison to the wealth of American workers.
  - quetzthecoatl 9mo ago
    and it was an absolutely made up number. The real numbers would be so low it was insignificant. That number was only reported in global outlets, and that strike had zero practical impact in India. It was so uneventful, almost all of India except select pockets that has communist party influence didn't even know about the whole thing - let alone felt the impact of the strike.
    - leosanchez 9mo ago
      > and that strike had zero practical impact in India. This is a fact. I think they might have added all the trade union workers across India and came up with that number.
- dragonwriter 9mo ago
  > However, tech workers in Bangalore are paid an order of magnitude higher than prevailing local wages in other sectors 250 million people striking in India isn't mainly “tech workers in Bangalore”, or mainly tech and other elite workers at all. It’s about 40% of Indian workers, and most articles I've seen about it centered on widespread participation of workers in coal, construction, and agricultural sectors.
  - linkregister 9mo ago
    Thank you for the correction. Indeed these workers' livelihoods are more perilous than their American contemporaries.
netsharc 9mo ago
And Indians can? When India "shut down" for Covid, day labourers suddenly had no income, and no government support - they had to walk all the way to their home province (can't remember if the trains were even running). But oh well, Uberizing employment means the run-of-the-mill American worker can also live like that in the future... progress!
- giraffe_lady 9mo ago
  Americans have chosen to learn exactly how good they have had it. You get to watch!
dragonwriter 9mo ago
No one (at a national scale) can afford to strike like that, except people who have an understanding of why they even more can't afford not to strike like that.

Can't afford not to.

You're most likely correct; I originally started writing this comment to refute your statement, but found that my assumptions appear to be wrong. Americans have the nearly the highest nominal and PPP income of OECD countries as of 2024, only behind Luxembourg, Iceland, and Switzerland [1]. India experiences substantially higher shelter and food insecurity and poverty rates than the United States. However, tech workers in Bangalore are paid an order of magnitude higher than prevailing local wages in other sectors, at around ₹2M (₹20 lakh) [2]. Median annual rents for 2BHK (2 bedroom) apartments appear to be around 1/10th of that figure at ₹3 lahk in desirable neighborhoods [3]. It appears to be reasonable for a technology worker to be able to perform a sustained strike. I have never personally traveled to Bangalore, though I have lived in places where cost of living is under a tenth of median American income. I invite correction by people with first hand knowledge about cost of living in Bangalore. 1. https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/average-annual-wages.html https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/average-annual-wages... 2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/median-tech-pay-in-india-declines-sharply-us-hits-new-highs-report/articleshow/124856820.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/median-te... 3. https://www.birlaevara.org.in/best-areas-in-bangalore-for-rental-returns-and-passive-income.html https://www.birlaevara.org.in/best-areas-in-bangalore-for-re...

leosanchez 9mo ago
> It appears to be reasonable for a technology worker to be able to perform a sustained strike. I don't think the strikes are done by tech people at all. Just normal workers.
- linkregister 9mo ago
  Then indeed these striking workers are doing so bravely, especially in comparison to the wealth of American workers.
- quetzthecoatl 9mo ago
  and it was an absolutely made up number. The real numbers would be so low it was insignificant. That number was only reported in global outlets, and that strike had zero practical impact in India. It was so uneventful, almost all of India except select pockets that has communist party influence didn't even know about the whole thing - let alone felt the impact of the strike.
  - leosanchez 9mo ago
    > and that strike had zero practical impact in India. This is a fact. I think they might have added all the trade union workers across India and came up with that number.
dragonwriter 9mo ago
> However, tech workers in Bangalore are paid an order of magnitude higher than prevailing local wages in other sectors 250 million people striking in India isn't mainly “tech workers in Bangalore”, or mainly tech and other elite workers at all. It’s about 40% of Indian workers, and most articles I've seen about it centered on widespread participation of workers in coal, construction, and agricultural sectors.
- linkregister 9mo ago
  Thank you for the correction. Indeed these workers' livelihoods are more perilous than their American contemporaries.

netsharc 9mo ago

And Indians can? When India "shut down" for Covid, day labourers suddenly had no income, and no government support - they had to walk all the way to their home province (can't remember if the trains were even running). But oh well, Uberizing employment means the run-of-the-mill American worker can also live like that in the future... progress!

giraffe_lady 9mo ago
Americans have chosen to learn exactly how good they have had it. You get to watch!

dragonwriter 9mo ago

No one (at a national scale) can afford to strike like that, except people who have an understanding of why they even more can't afford not to strike like that.