Labour Q&A with Terry Bell
Fin24 user Mdu Hlomuka disagrees with the "low pay is better than no pay" statement and seeks answers. He writes:
Mr (Terry) Bell's assertion of low pay better than no pay is incorrect as his assertions are based on Dr (Blade) Nzimande's comments.
1. Why must workers not be paid living wages?
2. Why do we put knowledge over life, i.e pay more the educated than those not so educated due to circumstances?
3. Free market system exploits resources and people and how does that help anyone?
4. Does he (Bell) believe the capitalist model is the best model, cause in theory there is no model that is perfect?
Fundamentally all models are perfect depending on who you are selling them to, but because we are a diverse nation we have to find a balance in all.
Bell responds:
Mdu, you misunderstood me. I did not support the contention that low pay is better that no pay. That was, in fact, the implication in the statement made by Blade Nzimande.
I personally support the idea that every worker deserves a decent, living wage. And I have never supported the idea that levels of education should determine levels of pay. And I, again personally, contend that the free market system is anything but free and provides no real answers.
As to economic models, it seems to me that the present one of competition and the maximisation of profit has probably outlived its usefulness and I am in the business of encouraging discussion and debate about where we go from here.
Regards
- Fin24
* Terry Bell is an independent political, economic and labour analyst. Views expressed are his own. Follow him on twitter @telbelsa.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.
Fin24 user Mdu Hlomuka disagrees with the "low pay is better than no pay" statement and seeks answers. He writes:
Mr (Terry) Bell's assertion of low pay better than no pay is incorrect as his assertions are based on Dr (Blade) Nzimande's comments.
1. Why must workers not be paid living wages?
2. Why do we put knowledge over life, i.e pay more the educated than those not so educated due to circumstances?
3. Free market system exploits resources and people and how does that help anyone?
4. Does he (Bell) believe the capitalist model is the best model, cause in theory there is no model that is perfect?
Fundamentally all models are perfect depending on who you are selling them to, but because we are a diverse nation we have to find a balance in all.
Bell responds:
Mdu, you misunderstood me. I did not support the contention that low pay is better that no pay. That was, in fact, the implication in the statement made by Blade Nzimande.
I personally support the idea that every worker deserves a decent, living wage. And I have never supported the idea that levels of education should determine levels of pay. And I, again personally, contend that the free market system is anything but free and provides no real answers.
As to economic models, it seems to me that the present one of competition and the maximisation of profit has probably outlived its usefulness and I am in the business of encouraging discussion and debate about where we go from here.
Regards
- Fin24
* Terry Bell is an independent political, economic and labour analyst. Views expressed are his own. Follow him on twitter @telbelsa.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.