[grecy]

Many companies in countries like Canada and Australia are now trying harder than ever to emulate the United States with it's extremely low wages, health, benefits, etc. for temp or casual workers.

Unfortunately, it's a race to the bottom, as tens of millions of Americas will attest to.

My simple question is - can we justify treating humans like this in the name of increasing profit?

[wiz21c]

My second question is : why don't union gets bigger and stronger ? Millions can't be put on the brink on poverty without an answer.

Yesterday, on a european TV, I saw a documentary about middle class people who became half-homeless (their words). They were just unlucky to loose their jobs. Now I understand they may have had too much credits or debts here and there but, these were middle class, that is, they went down the social path. That's scary.

[s_kilk]

The Bourgeois State, in both the US and Europe, has put a lot of work into undermining Unions, and Labour power in general, all in the service of Capital interests.

These outcomes are not surprising, this is literally the project of NeoLiberalism. A feature, not a bug.

[mschuster91]

> My second question is : why don't union gets bigger and stronger ?

Due to a combination of anti-union propaganda, (US only?) unions having an image of being corrupt and the shift to "gig economy" which was specifically created to combat unions...

[NicoJuicy]

Almost no Belgians in Belgium are homeless. I haven't seen anyone, although there seems to be some in the main capital.

I know a lot of refugees live in sheltes and currently there are homeless people in Brussels due to the breakup of Calais. But these people don't want to get asile in Belgium, but want to go to the UK. So that's why they don't receive anything here. That is their choice ofc.

[wiz21c]

Yep, statistically there are not many. But people helped by "social security" is growing faster than demographics. Those people are at the last level of social welfare, after that they're super close to homelessness.

the thing is, before being homeless, you're already in deep shit.

for refugees, I think you're right but "their choice" is a way to frame them that is a bit harsh. I see many of them everyday close to north station (brussels) and I doubt it was their choice to be there in the first place.

(edited the station, it's the north one :-))

[gadders]

>>ut these people don't want to get asile in Belgium, but want to go to the UK. So that's why they don't receive anything here. That is their choice ofc.

It's not their choice. EU rules say they should claim asylum in the first EU country they arrive in.

[Shivetya]

No offense, by numbers yet, by percentage of population it is similar to most other countries. We had other such declarations here recently but it all comes down to not seeing what is there to be seen. Homelessness exist in most part because they are invisible to the average person.

2011, 50,000 estimated with ten percent of that permanently on the streets. Number looks low until you realize the population is under twelve million total.

we must never allow ourselves to believe there isn't a problem. don't look a the numbers but concentrate on the percentage of the population.

I know it so much easier to demagogue other countries for their "problem" but do note, countries like the US where I am in report it and have many organizations which exist to remind people there is a problem. That doesn't mean its worse here, by percentages we are below many EU countries but as a physical number it looks bad because we have three hundred million plus people to start with

[seanmcdirmid]

I was going to say, I thought I saw plenty of homeless people in Brussels when I visited awhile ago. Now Switzerland really doesn't have homeless people as far as I can tell.

[randomdata]

More importantly, why don't strong unions do something about it? The mid-1980s saw the strongest unionization period for Canada – with nearly a 40% unionization rate – but all the of same declines mentioned by the parent were quite visible then. Wages, for instance, have been stagnant since the late 1960s. There was plenty of opportunity to fix the problems during those best union years.

Unionization has declined somewhat since that time, but is still fairly strong in Canada today, with about 30% unionization. The six strongest unionized country in the world. That matches the peak unionization rate for the USA (down to about 10% today), which is heralded for bringing great working improvements for the American worker. There really should be no reason why the current unions in Canada cannot improve on these things. History has shown that 30% unionization is enough to change the world.

I expect that unionization is declining, rather than strengthening, because the potential members are feeling like the unions have become self-serving or are resting on their laurels.

[lightbyte]

If those people were made homeless after losing their jobs they were definitely not "middle class". There is almost no middle class anymore and nobody wants to accept that they are apart of the poor, lower class. It's hard to change reality when nobody believes it.

[dingo_bat]

If I own a company, I can justify anything short of illegal activities to increase profit. If you don't want companies to behave in a certain way, get it outlawed.

[throwaway2048]

This is a bullshit perspective when companies lobby and play all sorts of tricks to manipulate the law itself.

[erikb]

This is too naive.

a) Companies will even do illegal stuff as long as they can do it and the lawsuits are not too expensive.

b) You can't make everything illegal. Smart people will always find a way no matter how strict your system is.

c) Yes, many people/companies will exploit others if they can. If you evaluate statistically that's actually "normal behaviour".

[tejohnso]

According to the article they, or their affiliates, are violating the law in several ways.

[grecy]

I agree 100%.

That is why I am starting a conversation. Change starts with a conversation.

[Cthulhu_]

You can justify some illegal activities, it's not a crime if nobody finds out / cares.

[ceejayoz]

> it's not a crime if nobody finds out / cares

Sure it is. Someone living off-grid who kills their kid and successfully disposes of the body might get away with it, but it's still a horrific crime.

[kwhitefoot]

> can we justify treating humans like

Surely not.

Not for any reason, let alone for profit.

[raverbashing]

I find it ironic that the race to the bottom is also driven by more constrained salaries. People earn less, they'll look for cheaper choices

> it's extremely low wages

"its extremely low wages"