this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2023
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Work Reform

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A UN poverty expert called on the CEOs of Amazon, DoorDash and Walmart on Tuesday to address allegations that wages at the US-based corporations are trapping workers in poverty, forcing them to rely on US Government benefits to survive.

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[–] RememberTheApollo@lemmy.world 85 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Too poor to have the time to educate themselves, look for other jobs, or move. Not much has changed with Walmart, infamously they have been making the taxpayers prop up their employees’ low wages and benefits for decades.

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 52 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And Walmart actually benefits double because of it. Because said employees spend thier checks and food stamps right back into the company.

[–] RememberTheApollo@lemmy.world 38 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Back to Company Towns and Company Stores.

[–] jaybone@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

But this time it’s government subsidized, so you and I pay for it!

[–] RememberTheApollo@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

We’re subsidizing corporate profits, to be clear. But yes.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 78 points 11 months ago (3 children)

I don't understand why a wage is legal if it traps people into poverty? Shouldn't minimum wage be brought up across the board? I expect if they are doing it, thousands of other businesses are doing it as well.

We literally have a minimum wage for a reason, why are we expecting corporations to self regulate instead?

[–] Gabadabs@kbin.social 26 points 11 months ago

The simple answer is lobbying. Bribery is legal here, our politicians are all bought and paid for by these very companies. Laws are not usually put into place for any reason other than making them more money.

[–] GutsBerserk@lemmy.world 26 points 11 months ago

With correct amount spent in lobbying you can kill people and their children, broadcast it live and still win Nobel peace prize. This (trapping people in poverty) is nothing.

[–] TheUncannyObserver@lemmy.dbzer0.com 43 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The government knows what they are doing, too. They just won’t do anything to jeopardize the money that those corporations give to them through lobbying.

[–] Mango@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Turn official money into your own pocket money!

[–] DrPop@lemmy.one 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I remember when I worked overnights at Walmart. There was a night differential of$1 per hour. While I was working there it changed to $.50 and the base pay went up by 55 cents. They really tried to tell me because my pay went up by 5 cents and hour I wasn't actually losing anything. Walmart will do anything and everything to pay their employees as little as possible. Also those who were there for a 1-2 years actually lost income with that change.

[–] phoneymouse@lemmy.world 32 points 11 months ago

They subsidize their profits with food stamps.

[–] AllonzeeLV@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

No, really? Noooo....

Really?

[–] Sprokes@jlai.lu -1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

You do not need to be a poverty expert to know that.

[–] FaeDrifter@midwest.social 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This was actually a pretty funny comment and I feel like everyone missed it.

[–] Sprokes@jlai.lu 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Actually I forgot 'not' in my initial comment.

[–] FaeDrifter@midwest.social 4 points 11 months ago

Makes more sense but I assumed you were being sarcastic anyway, which in that context made me lol pretty hard.