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Working people have the right to expect above inflation pay rises.

That’s a pretty strong claim.

The standard economic answer would be that if productivity rises then so will wages. If productivity doesn’t then wages won’t. So, the more we do that green stuff which deals with expternalities then the less productivity will rise and so the less wages will.#

Shrug.

14 thoughts on “Do they?”

  1. You can tell the nutters of the world by there cavalier use of the word “rights”. I was brought up to learn my responsibilities as I grew older and didn’t know I had “rights” that could be magically summoned with no effort by the homo superialis…

  2. It’s not just a strong term: it’s an impossible claim.
    Wages are just money which is a token that can be exchanged for assets. In the ultimate limit global asset consumption can’t exceed production. Increasing the money above inflation just means inflation goes up to stop consumption exceeding production.

  3. “We will keep going until every worker gets an abover average pay rise”
    Which had the (very rare for spud) beneficial effect of reminding me of the wonderful Keillor
    “Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.”

  4. I often wonder why people think they have a right and duty to opinionate about subjects which are basically agreements between two parties neither of which are the opinionator. It’s not your business what Fred pays Joe if you are not Fred or Joe. Same applies to things like renting accommodation. If it’s legal it should happen according to the wishes of the parties. And no further legal interference is required. If either of the parties themselves don’t like it it’s up to them to resolve the situation. If you don’t like the reward for your labour, sell it elsewhere.

  5. Workers don’t have a right to a pay rise; but voters have an expectation of one. Parties which don’t deliver rising wages should find themselves voted out of power.

  6. That green stuff.
    Gas from Qatar has to be liquified at one end and regassed at the other. This wastes about 20% of the energy, which is lost in CO2 to the atmosphere. Add in the emissions from building and running and scrapping the tankers and the figure rises to around 25%. Russian gas gets to Germany via 29 compressor stations, all running on gas to fuel the pumps.

    If the green movement had any logic to it they should be campaigning to frack for gas closer to where it is consumed.

  7. You have the right to *expect* whatever you want.

    No one has an obligation to provide it to you.

    Difference between a right and a privilege.

  8. “If the green movement had any logic to it they should be campaigning to frack for gas closer to where it is consumed.”

    Well no. That would also tend to make it cheaper and then people would use more and that would be bad. They would rather see you freeze. This is why any political party that panders to the greens will never get my vote. These people are my enemies, they wish to do me harm.

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