R: 15 / I: 5
Which was an easily verifiable lie that I realized literally as I closed the door behind me. Ah, yes, since I quit "at my own request", I have to work for three days, so called "otrabotka" (two weeks if you were taken without probation), which I will not do (devilish?), because after signing my resignation letter I am no longer an employee and can not be forced to work.
Also new thing I learned opening the labor code for the first time.
-there is no concept of working after dismissal, but there is a concept of notification before dismissal, so it should be 3 days or 2 weeks before the fact.
Thanks for reading my stupid rant.
/PROLE VENT/
Was tricked to sign a letter of resignation from my job at the russian post office. Despite the fact that I was on probation and my employment contract was fixed-term (although informally after its termination they almost always offer a full-time position) my…I don't know - supervisor? the main bitch of the workplace? didn't like me because of a couple of fuckups like a cash shortage, which I was really guilty of and paid for out of my own pocket (the statement of financial responsibility was signed by me on the first day of employment), and she decided to lie that the employee I was replacing was about to go to work.Which was an easily verifiable lie that I realized literally as I closed the door behind me. Ah, yes, since I quit "at my own request", I have to work for three days, so called "otrabotka" (two weeks if you were taken without probation), which I will not do (devilish?), because after signing my resignation letter I am no longer an employee and can not be forced to work.
Also new thing I learned opening the labor code for the first time.
-there is no concept of working after dismissal, but there is a concept of notification before dismissal, so it should be 3 days or 2 weeks before the fact.
Thanks for reading my stupid rant.
R: 5 / I: 1
>fuck the phonebill by getting a prepaid fixed minute plan
>always periodically call ur interner provider threatening them to leave for better deals
>never buy new cars insurance rates are a scam on them
/BILLZ/
ITT we share protips to help struggling proles save money and shaft recurring plundering payment porkies>fuck the phonebill by getting a prepaid fixed minute plan
>always periodically call ur interner provider threatening them to leave for better deals
>never buy new cars insurance rates are a scam on them
R: 10 / I: 0
Are master's programs really just cash cows like everyone keeps telling me?
Tldr all the arguments I hear against doing one:
>costs too much
>easier admissions process
>bad quality of education
>more debt
>can get a job without one anyways
>mainly used by internationals to game visas
>most jobs dont require it
But, I cant help but feel a lot of this is cope from people that dont have one. It has to help get more interviews easier and the wages are probably higher.
I got an admit into UCLA and feel like I should take it. My undergrad was in a shittier state school and the rep would help me out. But its going to be 40grand and dont know if Im just about to get scammed
Are master's programs really just cash cows like everyone keeps telling me?
Tldr all the arguments I hear against doing one:
>costs too much
>easier admissions process
>bad quality of education
>more debt
>can get a job without one anyways
>mainly used by internationals to game visas
>most jobs dont require it
But, I cant help but feel a lot of this is cope from people that dont have one. It has to help get more interviews easier and the wages are probably higher.
I got an admit into UCLA and feel like I should take it. My undergrad was in a shittier state school and the rep would help me out. But its going to be 40grand and dont know if Im just about to get scammed
R: 1 / I: 0
We're in the US and I expect the attempts at purging leftists to get worse in the future. Any good examples of protections we could copy? Also, general suggestions on things to definitely fight to have in our contract are welcome.
Union contract language during the new red scare
Seeking good contract language protecting political activity and speech to reduce the risk of getting fired over being a communist or anti-zionist. My workplace is majority anti-zionist Jewish people with a plurality of reds. A handful of zionist and rightoid pricks really hate that fact and keep trying to wield management against us and call in outside zionist orgs for backup because our existence fucks with their messaging that all Jewish people support Israel.We're in the US and I expect the attempts at purging leftists to get worse in the future. Any good examples of protections we could copy? Also, general suggestions on things to definitely fight to have in our contract are welcome.
R: 1 / I: 0
Why is it socially acceptable if not encouraged in all political axes to hate work but it's considered blasphemous to hate school?
Why is it that whenever I ask most people what they learn in school, all they tell is the dumb shenanigans they committed, even to the point of wanting to officiate "rites of passage" based on dumb reckless childish stunts, but they cannot remember one intellectual thing?
Whenever adults are asked to help with schoolwork, their minds are blank. Whenever it comes to bullying, they have no backbone except for punishing victims for self defense.
I notice that the people who miss school the most usually are those with no work ethic or people who kinda have some unfulfilled teenage quests.
I'm not against schooling, but we need to revamp it entirely. Trying to segregate worldly factors from the classroom for the sake of "protecting the younguns" usually results in an immature society.
I believe a lot of our problems with labor and education is due to how modern society views them as parallel worlds with differing rules.
School should reflect the workforce in social treatment, type of tasks, and infrastructural design
LeftyPol talks about reparations for the proletariat, yet from what I see, it's mostly people who wanna escape work and get luxury for merely existing.
They feel that people who wanna go into/currently working in blue collar jobs are subhumans.
They think that the only jobs worth respecting are the white/pink collar ones.
This fearful and contemptuous attitude towards work is the same I find in liberalism and the right.
Why is it socially acceptable if not encouraged in all political axes to hate work but it's considered blasphemous to hate school?
Why is it that whenever I ask most people what they learn in school, all they tell is the dumb shenanigans they committed, even to the point of wanting to officiate "rites of passage" based on dumb reckless childish stunts, but they cannot remember one intellectual thing?
Whenever adults are asked to help with schoolwork, their minds are blank. Whenever it comes to bullying, they have no backbone except for punishing victims for self defense.
I notice that the people who miss school the most usually are those with no work ethic or people who kinda have some unfulfilled teenage quests.
I'm not against schooling, but we need to revamp it entirely. Trying to segregate worldly factors from the classroom for the sake of "protecting the younguns" usually results in an immature society.
I believe a lot of our problems with labor and education is due to how modern society views them as parallel worlds with differing rules.
School should reflect the workforce in social treatment, type of tasks, and infrastructural design
LeftyPol talks about reparations for the proletariat, yet from what I see, it's mostly people who wanna escape work and get luxury for merely existing.
They feel that people who wanna go into/currently working in blue collar jobs are subhumans.
They think that the only jobs worth respecting are the white/pink collar ones.
This fearful and contemptuous attitude towards work is the same I find in liberalism and the right.
R: 3 / I: 0
Special unit active-War soldier, SWAT team member\SORT member, or even mma\bluhurt\rugby amateur player. non-violent yet extreme jobs like Underwater Welder, altitude rescue\medicine missions. etc
WTF Am I supposed to do? i changed and suited my whole lifestyle to be manlier: diet, sleep pattern, exercise type, so on.
>inb4 being a rEAl Man is about being a (((householder)))
No. Im Celibate.
inferiority complex from not being "extremely manly"
Im a man and I DO consider myself, really, very manly. But I genuinely suffer daily, or extended angst, because my "material conditions of existence" don't allow me to ,not even TRY OUT FOR, extreme manly lifestyles….Special unit active-War soldier, SWAT team member\SORT member, or even mma\bluhurt\rugby amateur player. non-violent yet extreme jobs like Underwater Welder, altitude rescue\medicine missions. etc
WTF Am I supposed to do? i changed and suited my whole lifestyle to be manlier: diet, sleep pattern, exercise type, so on.
>inb4 being a rEAl Man is about being a (((householder)))
No. Im Celibate.
R: 8 / I: 0
Do you think that there is a point in entryism into those spaces?
Do you judge people based on the profession they chose, independent of their personal circumstances or do you take that into account even if it's probably? Is there a difference if you are talking to someone who 'should know better' i.e. is a self-styled class- or otherwise politically conscious person?
Should a leftist who can't afford or sustain to be a 'professional revolutionary' seek out professions that seek to 'ameliorate' the worst effects of capitalism, like social work, teaching etc.?
Or is just obsessing over the ethics of one's job just moralist lifestylism, akin to 'ethical consumerism' and basically 'anything goes' since the profanition is considered absolute?
What are your thoughts on these points?
Morality, Ethics, Work and Radicalism
Do you consider certain jobs off-limits, for youself or in general from the perspective of a leftist or for personal reasons, such as military, the defense industry, banks, maybe even the meat industry or the work in capitalist governments?Do you think that there is a point in entryism into those spaces?
Do you judge people based on the profession they chose, independent of their personal circumstances or do you take that into account even if it's probably? Is there a difference if you are talking to someone who 'should know better' i.e. is a self-styled class- or otherwise politically conscious person?
Should a leftist who can't afford or sustain to be a 'professional revolutionary' seek out professions that seek to 'ameliorate' the worst effects of capitalism, like social work, teaching etc.?
Or is just obsessing over the ethics of one's job just moralist lifestylism, akin to 'ethical consumerism' and basically 'anything goes' since the profanition is considered absolute?
What are your thoughts on these points?
R: 1 / I: 1
I think of:
>Repo Agency CEO
>Medical Debt Collector
>Pharmaceutical Lobbyist\ healthcare company negotiator (meaning; uses legal and other tactics to make CLIENTS pay more, have less benefits)
>specialised pro-landlord Lawyer\ pro-gentrification legislator
what else!!
most evil legal jobs
What are the most EVIL (non-violent so; petty, cowardly..not like at least being a (((soldier))) on the frontline) 100% Legal jobs, under American Capitalism?I think of:
>Repo Agency CEO
>Medical Debt Collector
>Pharmaceutical Lobbyist\ healthcare company negotiator (meaning; uses legal and other tactics to make CLIENTS pay more, have less benefits)
>specialised pro-landlord Lawyer\ pro-gentrification legislator
what else!!
R: 8 / I: 0
Are universities just glorified capitalist labor camps? How can people not see the obvious corruption and collusion with the bourgeoisie. They merely serve as supplies of labor reserve armies and even stemlords cant get jobs easy now.
Will communists eliminate these rotten institutions?
Are universities just glorified capitalist labor camps? How can people not see the obvious corruption and collusion with the bourgeoisie. They merely serve as supplies of labor reserve armies and even stemlords cant get jobs easy now.
Will communists eliminate these rotten institutions?
R: 152 / I: 15
/ career /
Career - job/career advice and other related stuff from a leftist perspective. EX: How to get a job, promotion, skill, switch companies, resume, life hacks, etc.
R: 12 / I: 0
Is it anti-Marxist to prevent shoplifting? Should I just ignore people blatantly stealing when I am working the self checkout machines?
Should I actually stop people who are shoplifting?
I work at a shitty grocery store in an even shittier area. People come in who are completely illiterate and need to be walked through each step of paying. Basically everyone uses foodstamp payment and we get robbed every single day whether it's the carts and baskets getting carried off or someone running out the front with food.Is it anti-Marxist to prevent shoplifting? Should I just ignore people blatantly stealing when I am working the self checkout machines?
R: 15 / I: 1
I'm so fucking tired of my job, it's so boring and soulless. All I do is stare at a computer all day and contemplate my life decisions.
Worse of all? I have to work another 40 fucking years or so until I retire, which at that point I'll be an old fart sitting in some shitty nursing home watching the window and praying that someone dares to visit me.
Work all year round just for two rest days where I have to do other life shit. The reward? Living with the basics and a two week vacation. Fuck this man, I can't stand living like this anymore.
I'm so fucking tired of my job, it's so boring and soulless. All I do is stare at a computer all day and contemplate my life decisions.
Worse of all? I have to work another 40 fucking years or so until I retire, which at that point I'll be an old fart sitting in some shitty nursing home watching the window and praying that someone dares to visit me.
Work all year round just for two rest days where I have to do other life shit. The reward? Living with the basics and a two week vacation. Fuck this man, I can't stand living like this anymore.
R: 6 / I: 0
>spend all day every day learning a billion different tech stacks
>by the time ur caught up 30 new technologies to learn
>constant boom and bust cycles that leave u jobless
>workers are greedy gusanos that just came here to make money
>no solidarity at all, techbros happy to step on u to keep their job
>eyeball retinas are just deepfried
>have to produce some shit datamining sw
>grind ur way through 4 years of theory just to fail some shitty coding autism score test
>work under h1b immigrant managers who force u to work all day so they dont have to go back
>get outsourced anyways
>PIP factories to keep ur penis in pain
>get attitude from FOBs who think theyre hot shit because they make more
> the smell
>daily stand ups and justifying ur existence
>oversaturated field because learn2code propoganda
>no jobs headed the way of finance
>threat of AI and dumb managers who cut workforce
Why tf am i still doing this bros
Tech field
Anyone regret being in this porky hellscape>spend all day every day learning a billion different tech stacks
>by the time ur caught up 30 new technologies to learn
>constant boom and bust cycles that leave u jobless
>workers are greedy gusanos that just came here to make money
>no solidarity at all, techbros happy to step on u to keep their job
>eyeball retinas are just deepfried
>have to produce some shit datamining sw
>grind ur way through 4 years of theory just to fail some shitty coding autism score test
>work under h1b immigrant managers who force u to work all day so they dont have to go back
>get outsourced anyways
>PIP factories to keep ur penis in pain
>get attitude from FOBs who think theyre hot shit because they make more
> the smell
>daily stand ups and justifying ur existence
>oversaturated field because learn2code propoganda
>no jobs headed the way of finance
>threat of AI and dumb managers who cut workforce
Why tf am i still doing this bros
R: 1 / I: 0
If you're not organised with wage labourers in any meaningful and consequential way you're not a communist, just a sympathiser who knows plenty. It's akin to calling oneself a physicist because they watch PBS Space Time & read Feynman sometimes.
If you're not organised with wage labourers in any meaningful and consequential way you're not a communist, just a sympathiser who knows plenty. It's akin to calling oneself a physicist because they watch PBS Space Time & read Feynman sometimes.
R: 14 / I: 5
>Guides
>Practical Tips for irl
>Old classics & newer stuff
Personal experience also very cool
</edu/?
Yeah, but this thread is ideally more specific and focused.
Anyway, add 'em if you got them.
the body was too short or empty the body was too short or empty the body was too short or empty
/ORGANIZE/
A thread for resources on organizing.>Guides
>Practical Tips for irl
>Old classics & newer stuff
Personal experience also very cool
</edu/?
Yeah, but this thread is ideally more specific and focused.
Anyway, add 'em if you got them.
the body was too short or empty the body was too short or empty the body was too short or empty
R: 33 / I: 0
The professional managerial class is just the most advanced section of wage workers and the primary reason Porky is shafting them is because they RESENT the fact that a subsection of workers, due to the their advanced skill or education, have an increased level of independence.
In the recent debate with the far right over the h1b issue on twitter/x, musk said:
>“There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley,” Musk said on X on Christmas Day. “The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low,” Musk said in another post.
Now, it seems to me that what he means by "super motivated" is complying with his unreasonable work demands, and visa holders are much more likely to do so out of fear (of being fired and thus DEPORTED). Musk and his fellow tech titans seem to really resent the relatively high level of bargaining power and independence that skilled professionals have due to their high level of skill and education.
Its no accident that tech-porkies, who rely on these types of workers the most, are the most reactionary and you can see that they have significant government influence (the "tech bro" right). They are waging a brutal class war.
When Musk says "super motivated," he really means "willing to work 80+ hours a week without complaining." And H-1B holders, by design, have no real leverage to push back. H-1B workers are tied to their employers. If they get fired, they have 60 days to find a new job or get deported. That means long hours, no complaints, and low risk of quitting. Musk and other execs hate worker autonomy. If you’re a highly skilled engineer who can walk away and get another six-figure job easily, you won’t put up with unreasonable demands. H-1Bs function as a corporate leash, they allow companies to keep a portion of their workforce permanently dependent. That’s why firms like Google, Meta, and Amazon push so hard for H-1B expansions-not just for talent, but to erode the bargaining power of the wider workforce.
What we’re seeing is a class struggle between professionals and the Capitalist Class—the engineers, developers, and other skilled professionals who actually build and maintain technology versus the executives and investors who extract value from their labor. Engineers, DevOps, and developers make six figures, but they don’t control the means of production—executives and Capitalists do. The professional class has historically been independent. Unlike factory workers, skilled engineers have historically had strong bargaining power because demand was high. Capitalists resent their autonomy. Musk, Zuckerberg, and other tech execs hate that top engineers can just leave if they’re overworked or underpaid.
Tech execs and billionaires have been systematically trying to weaken the professional class for years. Their strategies include:
1. H-1B Visa Dependence – Keeping a portion of the workforce dependent and afraid to push back.
2. Offshoring & Outsourcing – Shifting jobs to lower-paid workers abroad to undercut local wages.
3. "AI Will Replace You" Narrative – Pushing the idea that AI will soon do engineering jobs, to discourage salary negotiations and job security demands.
4. Mass Layoffs to Kill Worker Leverage – Even profitable companies fire thousands at once, not because they need to, but to destroy worker confidence and bargaining power.
5. Union-Busting in Tech – Crushing any efforts by workers to organize and demand better conditions.
The Professional-Managerial Class (PMC)—especially high-paid tech workers—likes to think of itself as "elite," but in reality, it's just a well-compensated sector of the proletariat. Their belief that they’re closer to the billionaire class than to the working class is false consciousness, a myth that keeps them from seeing their real position in the system. Many tech workers think they’re part of the ruling class just because they make six figures and work in fancy offices. But their relationship to capital is fundamentally the same as a factory worker—they sell their labor, and when they stop working, their income stops. The real capitalists own stock, companies, and investments that generate passive income—tech workers don’t. "PMC" workers have zero control over company strategy—they implement decisions made by the actual ruling class (executives, board members, and investors).
The 2022–2024 tech layoffs showed that even top-tier software engineers are expendable when Wall Street demands it. Executives have stock options and golden parachutes—engineers get severance (if they’re lucky). Tech professionals believe their skills make them indispensable, but Musk proved otherwise at Twitter—capitalists will gladly cut 80% of them and still turn a profit. If a factory worker is replaced by automation, they lose their livelihood. If a software engineer is replaced by offshoring or AI, the same thing happens.
TLDR: the "PMC" so called does not exist, except as the temporary false consciousness of a section of high paid workers and as their pay evaporates so does that false consciousness.
why you're WRONG about the PMC
why you're WRONG about the PMCThe professional managerial class is just the most advanced section of wage workers and the primary reason Porky is shafting them is because they RESENT the fact that a subsection of workers, due to the their advanced skill or education, have an increased level of independence.
In the recent debate with the far right over the h1b issue on twitter/x, musk said:
>“There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley,” Musk said on X on Christmas Day. “The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low,” Musk said in another post.
Now, it seems to me that what he means by "super motivated" is complying with his unreasonable work demands, and visa holders are much more likely to do so out of fear (of being fired and thus DEPORTED). Musk and his fellow tech titans seem to really resent the relatively high level of bargaining power and independence that skilled professionals have due to their high level of skill and education.
Its no accident that tech-porkies, who rely on these types of workers the most, are the most reactionary and you can see that they have significant government influence (the "tech bro" right). They are waging a brutal class war.
When Musk says "super motivated," he really means "willing to work 80+ hours a week without complaining." And H-1B holders, by design, have no real leverage to push back. H-1B workers are tied to their employers. If they get fired, they have 60 days to find a new job or get deported. That means long hours, no complaints, and low risk of quitting. Musk and other execs hate worker autonomy. If you’re a highly skilled engineer who can walk away and get another six-figure job easily, you won’t put up with unreasonable demands. H-1Bs function as a corporate leash, they allow companies to keep a portion of their workforce permanently dependent. That’s why firms like Google, Meta, and Amazon push so hard for H-1B expansions-not just for talent, but to erode the bargaining power of the wider workforce.
What we’re seeing is a class struggle between professionals and the Capitalist Class—the engineers, developers, and other skilled professionals who actually build and maintain technology versus the executives and investors who extract value from their labor. Engineers, DevOps, and developers make six figures, but they don’t control the means of production—executives and Capitalists do. The professional class has historically been independent. Unlike factory workers, skilled engineers have historically had strong bargaining power because demand was high. Capitalists resent their autonomy. Musk, Zuckerberg, and other tech execs hate that top engineers can just leave if they’re overworked or underpaid.
Tech execs and billionaires have been systematically trying to weaken the professional class for years. Their strategies include:
1. H-1B Visa Dependence – Keeping a portion of the workforce dependent and afraid to push back.
2. Offshoring & Outsourcing – Shifting jobs to lower-paid workers abroad to undercut local wages.
3. "AI Will Replace You" Narrative – Pushing the idea that AI will soon do engineering jobs, to discourage salary negotiations and job security demands.
4. Mass Layoffs to Kill Worker Leverage – Even profitable companies fire thousands at once, not because they need to, but to destroy worker confidence and bargaining power.
5. Union-Busting in Tech – Crushing any efforts by workers to organize and demand better conditions.
The Professional-Managerial Class (PMC)—especially high-paid tech workers—likes to think of itself as "elite," but in reality, it's just a well-compensated sector of the proletariat. Their belief that they’re closer to the billionaire class than to the working class is false consciousness, a myth that keeps them from seeing their real position in the system. Many tech workers think they’re part of the ruling class just because they make six figures and work in fancy offices. But their relationship to capital is fundamentally the same as a factory worker—they sell their labor, and when they stop working, their income stops. The real capitalists own stock, companies, and investments that generate passive income—tech workers don’t. "PMC" workers have zero control over company strategy—they implement decisions made by the actual ruling class (executives, board members, and investors).
The 2022–2024 tech layoffs showed that even top-tier software engineers are expendable when Wall Street demands it. Executives have stock options and golden parachutes—engineers get severance (if they’re lucky). Tech professionals believe their skills make them indispensable, but Musk proved otherwise at Twitter—capitalists will gladly cut 80% of them and still turn a profit. If a factory worker is replaced by automation, they lose their livelihood. If a software engineer is replaced by offshoring or AI, the same thing happens.
TLDR: the "PMC" so called does not exist, except as the temporary false consciousness of a section of high paid workers and as their pay evaporates so does that false consciousness.
R: 5 / I: 2
What teaching theories do you like?
Do you have any good tips?
How is your teachers union?
Vent your stories about the dogshit waste of resources on fad educational theories. Or the technologically illiterate boomers who for some fucking reason introduced ipad learning to the school ecosystem because their grandkids got one at christmas.
How do we teach kids the critical philosophical skills to be able to even be able to conceive of the leftist theory we hope later they'll pick up when they bump into it later in life?
Everything teaching. Talk bout it
Teaching
This is a thread about teaching for teachers.What teaching theories do you like?
Do you have any good tips?
How is your teachers union?
Vent your stories about the dogshit waste of resources on fad educational theories. Or the technologically illiterate boomers who for some fucking reason introduced ipad learning to the school ecosystem because their grandkids got one at christmas.
How do we teach kids the critical philosophical skills to be able to even be able to conceive of the leftist theory we hope later they'll pick up when they bump into it later in life?
Everything teaching. Talk bout it
R: 3 / I: 0
Strategically speaking, cork production is a ripe target for unionization efforts, and once the unions take power in the cork industry, after making basic demands for health care, benefits, etc, they should demand seats on the board of directors at their company for every full time employee. I say this because such a demand effectively has the ability to transform a capitalist owned company into a worker owned cooperative.
Now, why do I say this? Because cork production, despite being very old, is quite resistant to automation for the reasons elaborated upon in this video. The work is also very manual, and labor intensive. It employs a lot more variable capital than constant capital. These are the sorts of industries where profit rates are consistently high. As Cockshott never tires of pointing out, empirical evidence since the 1800s consistently shows that profit rates decrease with a decrease of variable capital or an increase of constant capital. This industry has a high rate of exploitation despite being very old. Which is rare. This is due to the aforementioned resistance to automation. This is a natural resistance rather than a resistance on the part of the workers. Cork trees are all shaped different, and the trees can't just be chopped down for their bark. The trees have to be kept alive so they can be stripped over and over. And they have to be stripped carefully or they die. And you can't let a robot due it due to the unique shape of each tree. So for the foreseeable future this industry will require human workers. And the whole world drinks wine. And the vast majority of wine bottles, billions of them, are stopped with corks from the bark of the cork tree. Nearly all cork is produced in Portugal. That's a single point of failure. Organize the Portuguese cork industry and there's almost nowhere else to turn for good cork. Demand that it be made into a cooperative, and boom, you have a worker owned monopoly because almost nobody else produces this product
People say cooperatives are "petty bourgeois socialism" but I insist that certain industries have unique characteristics which make the strategy of unionize -> demand worker ownership possible. And the cork industry is one of them.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk. Naysayers, rev up your keyboards.
Strategically speaking, cork production is a ripe target for unionization efforts, and once the unions take power in the cork industry, after making basic demands for health care, benefits, etc, they should demand seats on the board of directors at their company for every full time employee. I say this because such a demand effectively has the ability to transform a capitalist owned company into a worker owned cooperative.
Now, why do I say this? Because cork production, despite being very old, is quite resistant to automation for the reasons elaborated upon in this video. The work is also very manual, and labor intensive. It employs a lot more variable capital than constant capital. These are the sorts of industries where profit rates are consistently high. As Cockshott never tires of pointing out, empirical evidence since the 1800s consistently shows that profit rates decrease with a decrease of variable capital or an increase of constant capital. This industry has a high rate of exploitation despite being very old. Which is rare. This is due to the aforementioned resistance to automation. This is a natural resistance rather than a resistance on the part of the workers. Cork trees are all shaped different, and the trees can't just be chopped down for their bark. The trees have to be kept alive so they can be stripped over and over. And they have to be stripped carefully or they die. And you can't let a robot due it due to the unique shape of each tree. So for the foreseeable future this industry will require human workers. And the whole world drinks wine. And the vast majority of wine bottles, billions of them, are stopped with corks from the bark of the cork tree. Nearly all cork is produced in Portugal. That's a single point of failure. Organize the Portuguese cork industry and there's almost nowhere else to turn for good cork. Demand that it be made into a cooperative, and boom, you have a worker owned monopoly because almost nobody else produces this product
People say cooperatives are "petty bourgeois socialism" but I insist that certain industries have unique characteristics which make the strategy of unionize -> demand worker ownership possible. And the cork industry is one of them.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk. Naysayers, rev up your keyboards.
R: 68 / I: 22
anyway making a new general for work in here, thread for all work Know-how, share all the unkown skills you know that are related to your work but most people don't know about/could use knowing
labour intensive work (how to hammer a nail, how to screw a bolt), shitty office work (how to multitask, how to avoid choking your boss, how to spread rumors about a cunt from Human Resources), food work (what we put in your sandwich behind the kitchen, how to mop the floor efficently, how to built tolerance against the smell of bathrooms) trades or STEM (how to argue online your profession is the best using mental gymansium) even sex work (how to suck cocks, how to fuck people in the ass, what to do when he's a shy virgin and he's annoying)
>inb4 i'm neet anti-worker
then share with us what you do to feel the best, how to tie a blanket around your shoulder like the pepe neet, how to get high at home no money paid, how to forge a katana, how to speedrun a game or a book, how to decorate your house in a way that don't make you feel like a miserable wagie
Laborwave - Vol 1, crane edition
you ever wondered how do giant cranes suddenly get built overnight and you never notice them appearing until they're in place?anyway making a new general for work in here, thread for all work Know-how, share all the unkown skills you know that are related to your work but most people don't know about/could use knowing
labour intensive work (how to hammer a nail, how to screw a bolt), shitty office work (how to multitask, how to avoid choking your boss, how to spread rumors about a cunt from Human Resources), food work (what we put in your sandwich behind the kitchen, how to mop the floor efficently, how to built tolerance against the smell of bathrooms) trades or STEM (how to argue online your profession is the best using mental gymansium) even sex work (how to suck cocks, how to fuck people in the ass, what to do when he's a shy virgin and he's annoying)
>inb4 i'm neet anti-worker
then share with us what you do to feel the best, how to tie a blanket around your shoulder like the pepe neet, how to get high at home no money paid, how to forge a katana, how to speedrun a game or a book, how to decorate your house in a way that don't make you feel like a miserable wagie
R: 10 / I: 0
CONSULTANTS
Why does porky need some guy who can make spreadsheets and harvard 22 years to tell a 55 year old ceo to do his job with a powerpoint? and then make that guy a middle manager after he leaves mckinsey?
R: 16 / I: 2
Encouraging Daycare Workers To Strike
I realized that the daycare industry is a single point of failure that could cause a shockwave of strikes. Most of the adult population becomes parents at some point. Parents need their kids to be in daycare between 1 and 4 years old so they can actually go to work and get shit done. Daycare is privatized in the USA and the daycare workers don't have very good unions. But I think if the daycare workers got organized, and went on a massive strike, it would make most parents unable to go to work, because they would need to stay home and watch their kids. This could create a domino effect leading to huge labor unrest in many other areas. I'm also thinking sanitation, electrical, and transportation workers need to strike. There will be a lot of suffering but this could lead to revolution. Not all sectors are equal when it comes to cascading effects of labor unrest. There are some areas that are way more likely to cause a domino effect than others. You feel?
R: 4 / I: 1
This evening I went on a deep dive on linkedin and just googled a whole bunch of political foundations I was interested in and laughed at all the weirdo glowie-adjacent people that work for them.
Unions, Think Tanks, NGOs, International Orgs, Institutes, non-party orgs
ITT we share our experiences with the NGO industrial complex while still deluding ourselves that entryism is a valid strategy for anyone except feds and hawks.This evening I went on a deep dive on linkedin and just googled a whole bunch of political foundations I was interested in and laughed at all the weirdo glowie-adjacent people that work for them.
R: 1 / I: 1
< The research, based on worker interviews and FOIA requests, details Amazon’s use of workplace surveillance, algorithmic discipline, and social media monitoring to discourage union support.
< Amazon exploited workplace devices to send anti-union messages, gauge employee sentiments, and intimidate workers through “captive audience” meetings.
< The company also used a strategy called “algorithmic slack-cutting,” temporarily easing working conditions during union elections to create a false sense of improvement.
< At the same time, Amazon increased digital harassment, using workplace apps to push anti-union content that workers were forced to see.
< Social media groups formed by employees to discuss grievances were heavily monitored, with Amazon tracking Facebook, Reddit, and other online forums for organizing efforts.
< The study reveals Amazon’s AI-powered mapping of union activity, showing its proactive measures to suppress labor movements across multiple locations.
< Employees faced termination for social media posts criticizing working conditions, and some were recruited to spread positive narratives about Amazon online.
< The study argues that Amazon is not merely using AI to manage workers but actively weaponizing technology to dismantle labor organizing.
< Despite repeated union elections and legal interventions, Amazon’s aggressive tactics have kept Bessemer warehouse workers from successfully organizing.
< The article also connects Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' political affiliations to potential threats against labor protections under a Trump administration.
< Ultimately, the study describes Amazon’s workplace control as a form of corporate despotism, using AI not just for efficiency but for coercion.
https://prospect.org/labor/2025-03-13-amazon-uses-arsenal-of-ai-weapons-against-workers/
Amazon Uses Arsenal of AI Weapons Against Workers
< A new academic study by Teke Wiggin of Northwestern University reveals how Amazon used advanced algorithms to suppress unionization efforts at its Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse.< The research, based on worker interviews and FOIA requests, details Amazon’s use of workplace surveillance, algorithmic discipline, and social media monitoring to discourage union support.
< Amazon exploited workplace devices to send anti-union messages, gauge employee sentiments, and intimidate workers through “captive audience” meetings.
< The company also used a strategy called “algorithmic slack-cutting,” temporarily easing working conditions during union elections to create a false sense of improvement.
< At the same time, Amazon increased digital harassment, using workplace apps to push anti-union content that workers were forced to see.
< Social media groups formed by employees to discuss grievances were heavily monitored, with Amazon tracking Facebook, Reddit, and other online forums for organizing efforts.
< The study reveals Amazon’s AI-powered mapping of union activity, showing its proactive measures to suppress labor movements across multiple locations.
< Employees faced termination for social media posts criticizing working conditions, and some were recruited to spread positive narratives about Amazon online.
< The study argues that Amazon is not merely using AI to manage workers but actively weaponizing technology to dismantle labor organizing.
< Despite repeated union elections and legal interventions, Amazon’s aggressive tactics have kept Bessemer warehouse workers from successfully organizing.
< The article also connects Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' political affiliations to potential threats against labor protections under a Trump administration.
< Ultimately, the study describes Amazon’s workplace control as a form of corporate despotism, using AI not just for efficiency but for coercion.
https://prospect.org/labor/2025-03-13-amazon-uses-arsenal-of-ai-weapons-against-workers/
R: 4 / I: 2
I'm a Mumbai soydev and I need to travel 3 hours a day crammed in these designated shitting carriages known as Mumbai's local trains. The gutka stains, stench and general lack of civic sense have turned me into the most classist person. Any respectable populace would've revolted against their leaders by now for such mistreatment, but I guess Indians are a different breed of shameless. My only alternative as of now is to commute on my bike, on which I have death-defying near misses almost every single timw. The roads are ridden with potholes and bumps and all the motorists here are careless fucking cunts. Also, wearing riding gear in Mumbai's heat feels like getting baked in an oven. I try to get sick leaves or work from home whenever possible because the commute is so dreadful. I envy Europeans and East-Asians for having some of the best public transportation on the planet, and had it not been for my sick mom I would've left this dead-end shithole a long time ago. You lucky mfs can travel 100km/hr without breaking a sweat and we have to struggle for hours just to travel less than 30km.
/commute/
Share your daily commute experience here and maybe give some tips on how you tolerate it.I'm a Mumbai soydev and I need to travel 3 hours a day crammed in these designated shitting carriages known as Mumbai's local trains. The gutka stains, stench and general lack of civic sense have turned me into the most classist person. Any respectable populace would've revolted against their leaders by now for such mistreatment, but I guess Indians are a different breed of shameless. My only alternative as of now is to commute on my bike, on which I have death-defying near misses almost every single timw. The roads are ridden with potholes and bumps and all the motorists here are careless fucking cunts. Also, wearing riding gear in Mumbai's heat feels like getting baked in an oven. I try to get sick leaves or work from home whenever possible because the commute is so dreadful. I envy Europeans and East-Asians for having some of the best public transportation on the planet, and had it not been for my sick mom I would've left this dead-end shithole a long time ago. You lucky mfs can travel 100km/hr without breaking a sweat and we have to struggle for hours just to travel less than 30km.