Skip to main content

A blog a day #14 - if I...ran the country (work)

Digits.co.uk Images, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

I don't have an interesting (if I ever do) life update today so instead here's how I'd run this country's approach to the workforce. Or at least the policy standpoints I'd take if I was ever minded to become a politician!

Work

All people aged 23 - 60 would be required to work with a cap of 40 hours per week. The recommended maximum to employers from government would be 32 hours. Work would be banned on Sundays with the exception of emergency services, leisure facilities, cafes and restaurants. Pubs would also be closed and professional sport would be banned on Sundays. Employers breaching these conditions would be fined with money being diverted to the culture and leisure sector.

On appointment, all employers would be required to pay the national living wage, which would be adjusted to meet current costs. Wages would increase as standard with the inflation rate and employers not complying would face frozen assets until the government recouped and redistributed funds to employees.

Those unfit to work would be assessed by trained physicians and psychological staff and if deemed unfit would be given 12 weeks to get fit, during which time they would be given menial jobs keeping streets clean, working in hospitals, clearing administrative public sector tasks or helping the elderly. 

Those aged 60 and over and who have proven national insurance contributions throughout will be allowed to retire with a paid government pension meeting the average living wage. Private pensions would not impact this payment.

At age 75, people would be required to give up their home and would be housed in government operated sheltered accommodation with trained care providers. Freed homes would then be offered to those in the workforce on favourable mortgage conditions to support economic delivery.

People made redundant because of a failed business would automatically be employed by the government on temporary conditions in whichever role is required to be filled, while the person seeks new permanent employment.

Anyone unwilling to work, or who actively cheats the system to avoid work will be placed in the armed forces and stationed overseas for a maximum of 10 years. Workplace training and the opportunity to earn a pension will be offered.

Private company ownership would be banned. All businesses including startups would require at least two partners with 50/50 shares, split accordingly with increased ownership which would be offered to the domestic public. Foreign ownership would be banned. The government would act as a partner initially to support startups to flourish. Publicly listed companies would be required to ringfence 70% of all profits to support the welfare state.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The haunted hub and a confused nation

Sunshine over East Kilbride! Hurrah for summer! So what if it's still barely double-digits in temperature. The lack of sideways rain, sleet or howling wind goes down as a win in my book. I'm sure it won't last. 👀 So it was a very pleasant walk to the library on my lunch break to return some books (I came back with the latest Alex Cross novel from James Patterson and a book on how to start running - hah!).  I was however, a bit sad to see the state of East Kilbride's supposed 'The Hub'. With Costa Coffee having packed up, it leaves the place feeling a tad desolate what with the other empty units giving some serious ghost town vibes. Not even the cheekiest of Nando's, which is still running off some lingering hype, could inject some life into the place. Not so much a 'hub' as a 'haunt'. 🥁 Confused priorities On the news, two stories caught my eye at either end of my working day. The first, from Florida, on how a head teacher at a school was p...

Over Time

A new song (which I'm still kinda polishing) but I recorded it on video during some free time today. I'll hopefully get it tracked out soon with drums and everything else soon. Continuing the theme I had going with my other one, I think this is about those times when you feel like there's no point, you're maybe suffocating a bit, and annoyingly self-aware that it's probably your own fault!  Again however, I like to have a wee melancholic upside in there and that is the fact that time, reflection and crucially your loved ones are there to pull you out the hole even if you don't see it for a little while.

A blog a day #13 - office day

Monday morning and back to the office today. Half of me hates getting up so early on a Monday but the other half of me quite likes getting out the house and into the city. I also like seeing colleagues and there's usually a few in on a Monday so the chat is good. Got through some editing and posting, joined a couple of meetings, learned more about our soon-to-join Foundation Apprentice and picked up some more books on my lunch break! Drove to work also today. £8.50 for a peak time return on the train is just outrageous in my opinion. I can park for £6 all day in the city centre. That said, driving is fairly tedious and the standard of some folks on the road is appalling. Not sure if a lot of people have watched so much American TV, they now think we drive on the right hand side in this country. And just the lack of basic manners and behaviour is sad. After that, a basic night in front of the telly with some Still Game (again lol) and a good few pages of Stanley Tucci's book ...