Comments on: Twenty Hour Week http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/submissions/twenty-hour-week Sat, 11 Sep 2010 05:00:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Felix http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/submissions/twenty-hour-week#comment-156 Felix Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:27:50 +0000 http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/?p=299#comment-156 This seems a little harsh! I really don't think the police and social workers desire a dysfunctional society, they are the product of one. You are implying that such groups are in some way a drag on progression of a harmonious society. This seems a little harsh! I really don’t think the police and social workers desire a dysfunctional society, they are the product of one. You are implying that such groups are in some way a drag on progression of a harmonious society.

]]> By: Alison Smith http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/submissions/twenty-hour-week#comment-139 Alison Smith Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:41:30 +0000 http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/?p=299#comment-139 A very interesting suggestion. You do not mention the sustainability aspects, but voluntary reductions in working time have enormous potential to address one of the key conflicts facing society today - how to reduce consumption to sustainable limits without losing jobs. It is impossible to keep growing the size of our economy forever, but if we stop growing then improvements to productivity will lead to job losses in the long term. One solution is the concept of Buy Less, Work Less. In other words, start to take productivity improvements as increases in leisure time or time spent helping the community, rather than increases in income and consumption. Readers might like to check out the website of the Work Less party http://worklessparty.org/ for more background. A very interesting suggestion. You do not mention the sustainability aspects, but voluntary reductions in working time have enormous potential to address one of the key conflicts facing society today - how to reduce consumption to sustainable limits without losing jobs. It is impossible to keep growing the size of our economy forever, but if we stop growing then improvements to productivity will lead to job losses in the long term. One solution is the concept of Buy Less, Work Less. In other words, start to take productivity improvements as increases in leisure time or time spent helping the community, rather than increases in income and consumption. Readers might like to check out the website of the Work Less party http://worklessparty.org/ for more background.

]]> By: David Ellis http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/submissions/twenty-hour-week#comment-135 David Ellis Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:17:30 +0000 http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/?p=299#comment-135 `Restrictions on working hours is a distinct limitation of personal freedom. We should be allowed to work as many hours as our employers wish us to.' If you notice, I have proposed no legislation to impose a limit on what hours one can or cannot work but a reduction of PAYE tax on the first 20 hours. This should ensure that we only work `as many hours as our employers wish us to' whilst at the same time giving industry operational freedom should it need it at no extra cost. If you can persuade your employer that paying the additional PAYE tax to keep you working longer is worth his while then good luck to you. And yes, it is old fashioned socialism but I don't think it has been tried before and found wanting (where has a twenty-hour week been tried before?) and it is not as old fashioned as your old-fashioned inflationary policies which have done nothing to prevent monopoly. `Restrictions on working hours is a distinct limitation of personal freedom. We should be allowed to work as many hours as our employers wish us to.’

If you notice, I have proposed no legislation to impose a limit on what hours one can or cannot work but a reduction of PAYE tax on the first 20 hours. This should ensure that we only work `as many hours as our employers wish us to’ whilst at the same time giving industry operational freedom should it need it at no extra cost. If you can persuade your employer that paying the additional PAYE tax to keep you working longer is worth his while then good luck to you. And yes, it is old fashioned socialism but I don’t think it has been tried before and found wanting (where has a twenty-hour week been tried before?) and it is not as old fashioned as your old-fashioned inflationary policies which have done nothing to prevent monopoly.

]]> By: David Chester http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/submissions/twenty-hour-week#comment-133 David Chester Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:10:16 +0000 http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/?p=299#comment-133 Restrictions on working hours is a distinct limitation of personal freedom. We should be allowed to work as many hours as our employers wish us to, and to be paid in direct relationship to what the reults of our labour produce in terms of the resulting product or service. Presumably the idea behind this proposal is one of ensuring that there are greater sharing of employment opportunities, even if it causes lower efficiency in the production process and even if the resulting products costs the producer more so when he sells it the price has to be raised and the demand subsequently drop. This philosophy is typical of the old style socialism which has been found to be unworkable in this age. Better to raise the demand for employment by the kinds of incitive taxes that have been proposed in other suggestions on these columns, and to accepth that the resulting reductions in cost and raises in dfemand will level out the playing field of monopoly and land speculation which presently prevails. Restrictions on working hours is a distinct limitation of personal freedom. We should be allowed to work as many hours as our employers wish us to, and to be paid in direct relationship to what the reults of our labour produce in terms of the resulting product or service.

Presumably the idea behind this proposal is one of ensuring that there are greater sharing of employment opportunities, even if it causes lower efficiency in the production process and even if the resulting products costs the producer more so when he sells it the price has to be raised and the demand subsequently drop.

This philosophy is typical of the old style socialism which has been found to be unworkable in this age. Better to raise the demand for employment by the kinds of incitive taxes that have been proposed in other suggestions on these columns, and to accepth that the resulting reductions in cost and raises in dfemand will level out the playing field of monopoly and land speculation which presently prevails.

]]> By: David Ellis http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/submissions/twenty-hour-week#comment-131 David Ellis Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:41:30 +0000 http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/?p=299#comment-131 Of course I'm joking about those who would oppose. I'm sure the police and our hard-pressed, hard-working social workers would love to have their burden reduced and old peoples' homes can be very nice places. Of course I’m joking about those who would oppose. I’m sure the police and our hard-pressed, hard-working social workers would love to have their burden reduced and old peoples’ homes can be very nice places.

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