Interesting

I used to work at HP. As they apparently continue to embrace the theory that "the only thing that is constant is change," another round of impending layoffs was recently announced. I think at the location where I worked, there are about half the people left (4,000 of 8,000). After praying to get laid off during the first rounds of cuts, I finally found another job and left after 2 1/2 years with the company. I couldn't take being a cog in such a large machine, with all these changes constantly being implemented but nothing ever seeming to actually change -- except any minor perks or benefits that were taken away, of course (Because really, do restrooms being used by several hundred people a day actually need to be cleaned more than once every few weeks? And isn't a feather duster the appropriate tool for this job? Disgusting). So as the latest CEO sharpens his axe, I came across an interesting article from Bloomberg News, and I was struck by what was contained in the last 2 paragraphs:

"Organized labor is much stronger in many European countries than in the U.S., where private-sector union membership has dwindled to about 7.9 percent of the work force from a peak of about 35 percent in 1953. In Germany, by contrast, companies with more than 2,000 employees must give workers equal representation with shareholders on their supervisory boards.

A World Bank report this year found that it is four times more difficult to fire an employee in France and Germany than in the U.S., and is even harder in Italy. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development concluded in 2003 that the U.S. had the weakest employment-protection laws of 28 countries it surveyed."

I also read somewhere that more than half of HP's work force is now located overseas. More than half! I knew they were sending jobs by the dozen to India (experienced the frustration of calling a "customer service" line lately? #$%@!) -- mostly because they can find people with Ph.D.'s to work for $10 an hour. Unfortunately, while they have Ph.D.'s, they do not fluently speak the language of the people they are serving, but whatever. My point in all this is as they continue to send all the jobs overseas, it is becoming increasingly apparent that they are then bound to leave them there -- meaning probably even more U.S. jobs will be lost. With all the focus on employment law over here, we have the WEAKEST employment protection laws? Sure, thanks to companies like Wal-Mart, half of whose employees rely on public assistance for medical benefits. I am unconvinced that Americans make too much money. I am absolutely convinced that the cost of living in this country has spiraled out of control and we are headed for an economic meltdown if something does not change, and soon!

Bill and Dave are surely spinning in their graves.