Curiosidade do dia

Aqui no blogue comecei por ser um ingénuo ao imaginar que um dia os trabalhadores poderiam ser tratados como Figos.

Depois, comecei a apanhar chapadas, esta e esta outra, por exemplo.

Depois, os patrões descobriram que podiam manipular o poder e começaram as paletes (exemplos aqui, aqui e aqui).

A China ilustra o que acontece num país sem paletes e com uma demografia ainda mais idosa do que a nossa:

"Increasingly, though, factory managers say it is becoming difficult to attract a new generation of workers to physically intensive manufacturing jobs, which offer long hours and low pay.

"Good workers are hard to find and they are getting older," said a manager in Suzhou named Xu. "If the factories pay too low, they will not negotiate as a labour union but vote with their feet."

...

Social media platforms have become an important resource for labourers to share insights on which factories to avoid - and which offered better conditions."

E o resultado:

"Many labour-intensive industries have begun to shift production of low-cost goods to countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh. In 2009, average manufacturing labour costs were almost 20 per cent lower in China than in Malaysia. Now, they are about 30 per cent higher, according to Frederic Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC."

Trechos retirados de "Long hours and low pay the harsh reality of factory jobs White House wants from China" publicado pelo FT a 24 de Abril último.