• Natanox
    link
    fedilink
    English
    1010 days ago

    remember the ‘workers’ were paid in housing, bread, and beer.

    That’s more than many people will get today from a single job. 💀

      • Natanox
        link
        fedilink
        English
        69 days ago

        I am. Feel free to talk with people about this who live in old vehicles, on a friends’ couch or literally on the streets despite having a “job”. Or those who only have proper housing and food by working two or more jobs.

            • Natanox
              link
              fedilink
              English
              28 days ago

              The only reason we don’t have this shit in more rich countries often is that people receive welfare despite working a full-time job because it doesn’t pay properly. In Germany we call this “aufstocken”. Basically another way to create wage slavery and redirect money from the state towards the private sector. The US is just very obvious and very loud about everything. Other third world countries indeed don’t have it any better.

              • @[email protected]
                link
                fedilink
                18 days ago

                In Estonia it’s just solved by the minimum wage being high enough to afford rent, even if it’s just a tiny studio in the larger cities for that wage.

                • Natanox
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  18 days ago

                  We also have a minimum wage, and if it was implemented the way social democrats and greens wanted it it would be fine. Unfortunately we also have “Christian” democrats (think US Republicans from 10 years ago) and Libertarians, who managed to fuck it up so there are quite a few “exceptions” for who can be underpayed below the minimum now. Long-time (>6 months) jobless people for example (they can also be fired just before gaining the “privilege” to receive said minimum, resetting the timer for them). There are more exceptions of course, can’t have the “wrong” people get enough money to life from.

                  • @[email protected]
                    link
                    fedilink
                    18 days ago

                    Tbh if some people working full-time in Germany can’t afford rent on minimum wage, I suspect it’s an issue with the rent, not the minimum wage. Minimum wage in Germany is more than 2x what it is in Estonia. I think your minimum is around our average (a bit over 2k euros per month pre-tax)