Canada and the World Backgrounder articles from October 2004

Canada and the World Backgrounder archives from October 2004

A brief history of work.(Work-Introduction)
October 1, 2004... There are still a few jobs that are done the same way they have been done for hundreds of years. A small number of blacksmiths ply their trade, mostly to keep the horses of ranchers and hobby farmers properly shod. (Actually, the demand for...

Low wages for profit.(Work-Outsourcing)
October 1, 2004... Many industries in Canada have gone into decline as work has been shifted to low-wage countries. The garment industry, shipbuilding, toy manufacturing, and many others have gone offshore. Over the last few decades, most of the jobs that have...

Jobs from hell: most companies treat their employees reasonably well, but some employers are just out to exploit their workers.(Work--Employers)
October 1, 2004... Many Canadians try to buy clothing with a "Made in Canada" label, hoping to avoid supporting companies that use exploited sweatshop workers in the developing world. Unfortunately, that "Made in Canada" label is no guarantee a garment has not...

Worker safety net: because of the scumbags who run a few bad businesses, a huge body of law and web of organizations has grown with the purpose of protecting workers.(Work-Protection)
October 1, 2004... There is an imbalance of power between employers and employees; that's all due to the law of supply and demand. There are almost always more workers needing a job than there are jobs available. Good companies do everything they can to...

Wasting Time.(Work-Productivity)
October 1, 2004... One study says that the average office worker suffers from 16 non-work-related interruptions per day, including e-mails, phone calls, and office chitchat. And, it takes the average person 2.9 minutes to re-focus after a work distraction. That...

Time to call it a day: labour market changes during the 1990s have resulted in increased job insecurity and increased work demands--all of which are linked to increased stress.(Work-Burnout)
October 1, 2004... The phrase "lean and mean" entered the business management manuals sometime around the late 1970s, early '80s. It describes a business plan that does not replace employees who retire or quit, but shares out the work among those who remain. ...

Taking a bullet for the Boss: employers in a tight spot financially are turning to their workers to help them out. The employers say they don't have enough money to pay current wages, so workers are asked to take a pay cut to keep the business going.(Work-Company Bailouts)
October 1, 2004... Air Canada has been on the financial ropes for years. To a large extent the airline's troubles can be traced to a management decision to swallow its competitor, Canadian Airlines. Rescue attempts have hinged on huge wage give-backs from Air...

Going underground: there is a huge informal, or underground, economy at work in our society. It includes any business activity that goes unreported or under-reported. Generally, it involves the exchange of goods and services for cash, leaving no record, no paper trail.(Work--Non-standard)
October 1, 2004... Nobody knows for sure just how big the underground economy (UE) is. But, plenty of people have tried to put a number on it. One 2002 study estimated that the underground economy grew to nearly 16 percent of the above-ground economy by the...

Wanted: skilled workers: Canada is about to become desperately short of workers in a variety of categories. A large percentage of the country's skilled workers is closing in on retirement and too few young people are opting for trades training to fill the gaps.(Work-Shortages)
October 1, 2004... From doctors and nurses, to teachers, plumbers and electricians, a wide range of occupations will be facing worker shortfalls by 2011. In February 2003, Statistics Canada warned the country could face serious worker shortages in the next...

Quote ... unquote.
October 1, 2004... "By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work 12 hours a day." Robert Frost, American poet (1874-1963) "He that will not work according to his faculty, let him perish according to his necessity:...