Maybe people forgot, but we live in the age of the internet, where it only takes a small group of enterprising individuals to astroturf. No elite involvement required.
> Astroturf? Which powerful interest in the world right now wants people to work less?
The CCP. Xi Jinping absolutely stands to benefit domestically from discord being sown in the West, especially if it's of a Marxist nature and broadly in agreement with the doctrine of Common Prosperity.
(Not actually accusing anyone of anything - there's no way their propaganda department could be this competent - just answering the question directly).
Of course, you could claim both nations’ intelligence services are engaged in a game of rival psyops, but stories like this would seem to indicate there’s worker discontent that crosses borders.
>stories like this would seem to indicate there’s worker discontent that crosses borders
100%, man.
My point wasn't that "China's probably doing this"; just that there are other powerful interests outside of corporate lobbyists that have very different goals.
I can't see a mix of obscene inflation (mainly in rent/real estate prices), a culture of conspicuous consumption and a WW1-style class divide where competent working class people are bossed around by the reject offspring of the upper 20% leading to anything more than mass discontent.