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Forty hours, one life...
(lemmy.nz)
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this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2026
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Work Reform
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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
founded 3 years ago
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"A job" is the modern equivalent of "finding enough berries to stay alive for a few more days" or "going through the crops on your hands and knees picking weeds and killing pests".
It's insane to think that a job is supposed to be fun. A job is what you have to do to survive.
Some extremely lucky people will actually find something that they love doing, are good at, and that people are actually willing to pay them money to do. If you're among the richest billion people on the planet, you may be lucky enough to have a job that's boring, unfulfilling, but not dangerous and doesn't involve back breaking labour.
For most people on the planet, a job is whatever you have to do to get a roof over your head and enough to eat for the next meal. Of course it's going to suck, and it's probably going to be a lot more than 40 hours a week. But, the alternative is death.
If you are one of those richest billion people and you have a job you hate, but you could do a job that's only unfulfilling and boring, by all means, switch.
Nah, fuck this.
If we were allowed to do just what is necessary for survival we would spend way, way less time on it than we do working now. Picking weeds from a crop just big enough to support a family does not take 40 hours a week 52 weeks a year. Picking berries does not require you to check with a supervisor before you're allowed to pee during working hours. We live in a form of indentured servitude, which eats most of our waking hours and provides a host of genuine physical and mental health issues.
The sentiment in the comment I'm responding to is reductionist nonsense borne of corporate brainwashing.
This shit has nothing to do with "a job should be sunshine and rainbows" and everything to do with "working a 60 hour work week to displace more wealth into the hands of a few people is not and should not be seen as fine".
Sure, bud.
Sure, bud. I guess you've never met a farmer? It's famous as one of those 9-5 jobs with weekends off, isn't it?
Sure, bud. That famous form of indentured servitude where you get nights and weekends off, and are free to change bosses at any time.
I guess one gets real accustomed to the taste of boot.
I guess one has spent too much time in church or movies or something, believing that there's some utopia where berries gratefully fall off bushes into our waiting hands, if only the durn gubmint, or frickin capitalists would get out of our way.
My dude, I live on a hobby farm. Complete with livestock. I have giant blackberry bushes.
But please tell me more about how sitting at a desk all day making money for people who don't know you exist is just so natural. Modern day berry picking even.
That's great my dude. My dude, what fraction of your yearly calories come from this hobby farm, my dude? My dude, are you able to actually meet your nutritional needs with this hobby? My dude, is this farm just a hobby? If it meets all your needs, why do you work at all, my dude?
I agree with this mf but he’s so fucking annoying about it that I actually want him to trip on his shoelaces and shut the fuck up