Comment on ‘We have a mandate to act’: PM throws open doors to bolder agenda

• Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Productivity isn’t great because of the kinds of jobs the people of this nation increasingly do, and likely will do for the foreseeable future.

  And, sorry if this comes across a bit morbid. Until the baby boomers shuffle off this mortal coil in greater numbers, any serious productivity gains in certain industries are overtaken by the medical, care, and other old-age related, usually low productivity, work the country is providing.

  Its because of this, that i’m sceptical that ‘productivity’ is a good measure to be relying on so heavily to gain an honest understanding of the working economy.

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  • appetizer@lemmy.today ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    The constant chase of productivity increases can make sense, but only if you’re not trying to increase output at the same rate.

    We should be trying to reduce the total amount of work done, while increasing the quality of life of all Australians. If that is the goal then productivity increases are a win for everyone.

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    • Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Well the industrial model it came out of came with pay rises for the work force for the productivity gains. So its use was acceptable to the workers then.

      Not sure that was really a great set up, because a lot of the productivity gains were from implementation of technology, not so much better work in general by the employee base, although that was also the case often, but the technology changes were the larger productivity increases.

      What you’re suggesting is coming up to what Maynard Keynes imagined as a future. People producing as much or even more, with less time spent on the work. Soyou’re in good company.

      I don’t imagine a system like that will come in this century though. Too much competition between Nations and peoples, not enough machines to do the work.

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