[chhs]

One can only dream. It seems that workers become more and more productive over time, but their wages do not increase with productivity. I wonder, if not an increase in productivity for the same cost, could result in an improvement in conditions for workers?

[Mordisquitos]

John Maynard Keynes was already dreaming this for his grandchildren in 1930. He may have been a bit too optimistic in terms of the timeline, but hopefully he will eventually be proven to have been on the right track:

> For many ages to come the old Adam will be so strong in us that everybody will need to do some work if he is to be contented. We shall do more things for ourselves than is usual with the rich to-day, only too glad to have small duties and tasks and routines. But beyond this, we shall endeavour to spread the bread thin on the butter-to make what work there is still to be done to be as widely shared as possible. Three-hour shifts or a fifteen-hour week may put off the problem for a great while. For three hours a day is quite enough to satisfy the old Adam in most of us!

Source: http://www.econ.yale.edu/smith/econ116a/keynes1.pdf

[throwawaysea]

In a global economy we would need to avoid a race to the bottom to defend shorter work weeks somehow. Perhaps that means limitations (tariffs) on trade with nations that don’t enact the same labor laws?