Statistics Canada reports that driving a truck is the only job that has seen real wages after inflation fall year on year for twenty six years.As an example they use Esso truck drivers.In 1984 these drivers earned $24 per hour hauling petroleum tankers .In 2008 the last year statistics are available these drivers were no longer hired directly by Esso but through employment agencys where the average wage for the exact same job was $18.50 per hour. The same story is true for the various beer companies and all other well paying trucking jobs.They have all been farmed out to agencys and now the average wage for a truck driver is a staggering $14 per hour with no overtime rates being paid untill the 60th hour has been worked .It was also found that %95 of trucking companys never paid overtime rates due to a policy of paying by the mile instead of the hour.Benefits were found to be non existent unless at least %50 paid by the driver.This meant that to earn a decent living drivers were working the equivelant of two jobs to make the Canadian average weekly earnings of a single income worker!
And yet again, the troll pops his head up.
Might I suggest that you do the same search for UK drivers? Might I also suggest that you buy a shovel?
See, you are just digging a hole for yourself with your infantile nonsense.
Back in the mid 70s my father was on contract to Esso in the UK, as a contractor his wages were the same as the Esso drivers, the benefits were the same too, on the Easter Monday in 1976 he left to do a regular run to the steelworks in Llanwern, for working that day he received somewhere in the region of 190 quid, plus 2 days off in lieu, since then Esso has contracted out it’s transport and the wages now will not be anywhere near what they were back then, even without inflation, the same goes for the breweries in the UK, all of them use third party logistics providers for their transport, does anyone see a pattern… 
robbbbbbie, stop it, you really are making yourself look a little silly, for every bit of useless data you drag up, the likes of Doggy, myself and the others will tell you that we are far better off over here, you have statistics, we’re living proof 
Yes, we get paid by the mile, we also get waiting time, paid layovers, bonuses, holiday money, but the best part, we don’t have to sit in driver’s waiting rooms listening to [zb]wits like you, we don’t have to conform to ridiculous HSE regs, we don’t sit in traffic all day, we don’t spend our night’s out in rat infested ■■■■ soaked laybys eating pot noodles while the ■■■■■■ drain our tanks, we don’t get written warnings for letting it run 2km/h over the limit on a hill, we don’t have to sit through 35hrs of useless training to keep our jobs, every one of us has a better life now, our families have better lives, we really must be mugs
Robbbie I missed you there was no one here we could kick around while you were gone. While we are talking about real income and inflation please note that at one time most stores had union jobs, made really good wages there was a need for only one person in the family to be working to have a decent standard of living. Places like Eatons, JC Penny ect today we have stores that have no benefits for their staff normally hire only part time so as not to have to pay benefits or overtime. At one time you pulled in for petro and the lad would come out an fill your tank check your oil and wash the windows. Now you have to do it all and the price for gas is no less at self or full serve. Yes there are some companies I wont mention any names that don’t pay for layover unless you almost threaten to go postal,ect, but the BFS of the world are the ones who advertise for 20 drivers on a regular basis. They are not the companies that people stay with get the time in to move on and give them 1/2 a peace sign as you walk out the door. You remind me of a Frenchmen who will scream bloody murder for having to pay taxes but then is the first one when he gets a paper cut to go to emergency at the hospital for a tetanus shot. Stop it you are making yourself look like a real twit.
The living wage is a concept central to the Catholic social teaching tradition beginning with the foundational document, Rerum Novarum, a papal encyclical by Pope Leo XIII, issued in 1891 to combat the excesses of both laissez-faire capitalism on the one hand and communism on the other. In this letter, Pope Leo affirms the right to private property while insisting on the role of the state to require a living wage. The means of production were considered by the pope to be both private property requiring state protection and a dimension of the common good requiring state regulation. Pope Leo first described a living wage in terms that as could be generalized for application in nations throughout the world. Rerum Novarum touched off legislative reform movements throughout the world eliminating child labor, reducing the work week, and establishing minimum wages.
“If a worker receives a wage sufficiently large to enable him to provide comfortably for himself, his wife and his children, he will, if prudent, gladly strive to practice thrift; and the result will be, as nature itself seems to counsel, that after expenditures are deducted there will remain something over and above through which he can come into the possession of a little wealth. We have seen, in fact, that the whole question under consideration cannot be settled effectually unless it is assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought to favor this right and, so far as it can, see that the largest possible number among the masses of the population prefer to own property.” (#65)
“Wealthy owners of the means of production and employers must never forget that both divine and human law forbid them to squeeze the poor and wretched for the sake of gain or to profit from the helplessness of others.” (#17)
“As regards protection of this world’s good, the first task is to save the wretched workers from the brutality of those who make use of human beings as mere instruments for the unrestrained acquisition of wealth.” (#43) W hen the working day beyond a man’s capacity. How much time there must be for rest depends upon the type of work, the circumstances of time and place and, particularly, the health of the workers." (#43)
Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII, 1891 [1]
In Quadragesimo Anno, Pope Pius XI clarifies Rerum Novarum by warning that, in seeking to protect the worker from exploitation, society must not exploit the employer.
“…(T)he wealthy class violates (the common good) no less, when, as if free from care on account of its wealth, it thinks it the right order of things for it to get everything and the worker nothing, than does the…working class when, angered deeply at outraged justice and too ready to assert wrongly the one right it is conscious of, it demands for itself everything as if produced by its own hands, and attacks and seeks to abolish, therefore, all property and returns or incomes, of whatever kind they are or whatever the function they perform in human society, that have not been obtained by labor, and for no other reason save that they are of such a nature.” (#57)
Quadragesimo Anno, Pope Pius XI, 1931 [2]
GLOBAL/WORLD COST OF LIVING RANKINGS 2010/2011
World Cost of Living 2010: Luanda in oil-rich Angola is the world’s most expensive city for expatriates, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer. Tokyo is in second position, with Ndjamena in Chad in third place. Moscow is in fourth position followed by Geneva in fifth while Karachi is ranked as the world’s least expensive city. The survey found that Luanda is three times as costly as Karachi. Dublin, Ireland got a 42nd ranking and Belfast is at 182.
The survey covers 214 cities across five continents and measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. It is the world’s most comprehensive cost of living survey and is used to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowance for their expatriate employees. New York is used as the base city for the index and all cities are compared against New York. Currency movements are measured against the US dollar. The cost of housing - - often the biggest expense for expats - plays an important part in determining where cities are ranked.
In some cities, it is only practical for an expat to live in an enclave because of crime problems and the availability of of modern services. In others, the choice of where to live is flexible. The cost of restaurant food in a city can be much lower for locals than what is assumed would be the preference for expats. For example in Kuala Lumpur, a meal per person can cost as low as $1.50 up to $25 (excluding drink) in a good Italian restaurant. Choice of location in a city often depends on proximity to an international school.
For the first time, the ranking of the world’s top 10 most expensive cities includes three African urban centres: Luanda (1) in Angola, Ndjamena (3) in Chad and Libreville (7) in Gabon. The top ten also includes three Asian cities; Tokyo (2), Osaka (6) and Hong Kong (jointly ranked 
. Moscow (4), Geneva (5) and Zurich (joint are the most expensive European cities, followed by Copenhagen (10).
According to Nathalie Constantin-Métral, a Senior Researcher at Mercer with responsibility for compiling the ranking each year: “In the past couple of years, corporate assignments have become truly global, with expatriates and ‘global assignees’ being transferred across all parts of the world. However, global mobility is still an expensive undertaking for companies, so selection of the right candidates and a real understanding of the costs involved in relocating staff to other countries are essential - - especially in today’s economic environment.”
“Our cities are selected based on requests from our multinational clients,” she continued, “Notably African cities now figure prominently reflecting the growing economic importance of the region to global companies across all business sectors.”
City rankings table
The most expensive city in the world for expatriates to live is Angola’s capital Luanda, according to research from Mercer. Milan Taylor from Mercer has more on the cost of living index:
Europe and the Middle East
After Moscow, Geneva, Zurich and Copenhagen, the most expensive cities in Europe are Oslo (11) in Norway, Milan (15) in Italy, London and Paris (both 17) and Bern (22) in Switzerland. Other expensive European cities include Rome (26), Vienna (28), St Petersburg (30) Amsterdam (35), Baku (36) Dublin (42), Istanbul (44), Barcelona (49), Frankfurt (50), Madrid (52) and Lisbon (72). Riga ranks 81 followed by Budapest (94), Warsaw (96) and Tallinn (115). The least expensive city in Europe is Tirana (200) in Albania, followed by Macedonia’s Skopje (197), Sarajevo (196) in Bosnia Herzegovina, Minsk (192) in Belarus and Belfast (182) in the UK.
Tel Aviv (19) is the most expensive city in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi (50) and Dubai (55). Tripoli (186) in Libya is the least expensive Middle Eastern location followed by Jeddah (181) in Saudi Arabia and Muscat (I76) in Oman.
Nathalie Constantin-Métral commented: “Accommodation costs have continued to decrease in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, driving down the cost of living for expats. The rankings are also very susceptible to exchange rate fluctuations.
However, in places like Jeddah and Tripoli, the lack of suitable accommodation for expats combined with strong demand, has pushed costs up."
Africa
Reflecting the increasing economic importance of this region across all business sectors, Mercer’s rankings prepared for this press release now includes many African cities. Many rank highly in the 2010 survey, reflecting the high living costs for expatriate employees. After Luanda, Ndjamena and Libreville, the region’s most expensive cities are Victoria (13) in the Seychelles, Niamey (23) in Niger and Dakar (32) in Senegal. In South Africa, Johannesburg and Cape Town rank 151 and 171, respectively. At the bottom of the ranking, Addis Ababa (208) in Ethiopia is the cheapest African city followed by Windhoek (205) and Gaborone (203) in Namibia and Botswana, respectively.
“We’ve seen demand increase for information on African cities from across the business spectrum — mining, financial services, airlines, manufacturer, utilities and energy companies,” commented Constantin-Metral.
“Many people assume that cities in the developing world are cheap but this isn’t necessarily true for expatriates working there. To entice talented staff to these cities, multi-nationals need to provide the same standard of living and benefits that these employees and their families would experience at home. In some African cities, the cost of this can be extraordinarily high - particularly the cost of good, secure accommodation,” she added.
Americas
Cities in Brazil are amongst the most expensive locations in the Americas with Sao Paulo (21) ranked as the most expensive city in both North and South America, as a result of the strengthening of the Brazilian Real against the US Dollar. In South America, Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro (29) is the second most expensive city followed by Havana (45) in Cuba, Colombia’s Bogota (66) and Brazil’s capital, Brasilia (70). Buenos Aires ranks 161. Nicaragua’s Managua (212), Bolivia’s La Paz (211) and Asuncion (204) in Paraguay were the least expensive cities in South America.
In the United States, New York (27) is the most expensive city followed by Los Angeles (55). Washington ranks 111. The least expensive City in the United States is Winston Salem (197). Mexico City (166) is the most expensive city in Mexico, while the cheapest is Monterrey (193). Vancouver (75) is the most expensive Canadian city followed by Toronto (76) and Montreal (98). Ottawa (136) is Canada’s least expensive city.
“The weakening of the US Dollar against a number of other currencies, combined with a decrease in the cost of rental accommodation, has pulled US cities down the rankings,” commented Constantin-Metral. “However, since March 2010 the dollar has strengthened so the situation does fluctuate.”
Asia Pacific
Two Japanese cities, Tokyo and Osaka, are the region’s most expensive cities. Other highly ranked Asian cities are Hong Kong (8), Singapore (11), Seoul (14), Beijing (16), Nagoya (19) in Japan, Shanghai (25) and Taipei (78). A total of seven Chinese cities appeared on the 2010 rankings, highlighting the increased commercial importance to multi-nationals of locations other than just Beijing Shanghai and Hong Kong.
New Delhi (85) is India’s most expensive city followed by Mumbai (89) and Bangalore (190). Elsewhere, Jakarta in Indonesia ranks 94, followed by Vietnam’s Hanoi and Thailand’s Bangkok (both at 121) and Kuala Lumpur (138) in Malaysia. Pakistan’s Islamabad (212) and Karachi (214) are the region’s two least expensive cities.
Sydney (24) is Australia’s most expensive city followed by Melbourne (33) and Brisbane (55) while Adelaide (90) is the country’s least expensive city. Auckland (149) is the most expensive city in New Zealand while Wellington (163) is the cheapest. The Australian Dollar and the New Zealand Dollar have strongly strengthened against the US Dollar, which has moved the cities up in the ranking.
“At the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, residential property prices in many Asian countries rose as the economic environment began to stabilise and demand for good expat housing increased,” commented Constantin-Metral. “The strengthening of the Australian and New Zealand Dollar against the US Dollar also made Australian and New Zealand cities more costly for expatriates coming from the US.”
Top 50 cities: Mercer’s cost of living ranking
Base City: New York, US = 100
Rank 2010 City Country
1 LUANDA ANGOLA
2 TOKYO JAPAN
3 NDJAMENA CHAD
4 MOSCOW RUSSIA
5 GENEVA SWITZERLAND
6 OSAKA JAPAN
7 LIBREVILLE GABON
8 ZURICH SWITZERLAND
8 HONG KONG HONG KONG
10 COPENHAGEN DENMARK
11 SINGAPORE SINGAPORE
11 OSLO NORWAY
13 VICTORIA SEYCHELLES
14 SEOUL SOUTH KOREA
15 MILAN ITALY
16 BEIJING CHINA
17 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM
17 PARIS FRANCE
19 TEL AVIV ISRAEL
19 NAGOYA JAPAN
21 SAO PAULO BRAZIL
22 BERN SWITZERLAND
23 NIAMEY NIGER
24 SYDNEY AUSTRALIA
25 SHANGHAI CHINA
26 ROME ITALY
27 NEW YORK UNITED STATES
28 VIENNA AUSTRIA
29 RIO DE JANEIRO BRAZIL
30 ST. PETERSBURG RUSSIA
31 HELSINKI FINLAND
32 DAKAR SENEGAL
33 BANGUI CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
33 MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA
35 AMSTERDAM NETHERLANDS
36 BAKU AZERBAIJAN
37 BRATISLAVA SLOVAKIA
38 GUANGZHOU CHINA
38 NOUMEA NEW CALEDONIA
40 ATHENS GREECE
40 DOUALA CAMEROON
42 SHENZHEN CHINA
42 DUBLIN IRELAND
44 ISTANBUL TURKEY
45 ABIDJAN IVORY COAST
45 HAVANA CUBA
47 PRAGUE CZECH REPUBLIC
48 BRAZZAVILLE CONGO
49 BARCELONA SPAIN
50 FRANKFURT GERMANY
50 ABU DHABI UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Mercer said in its commentary on 2009 results that for the most part, the fluctuations have been the result of important currency fluctuations and less so by price movements.
Price movements
Up until September and October 2008, it observed a substantial increase in prices of basic consumption items and energy in many parts of the world. In the last few months of 2008, there was a sharp reversal of this trend which continued into the early part of 2009. The March 2009 Cost of Living survey revealed a substantial decrease in petrol prices and a stabilisation of prices for many basic items in most of the locations. Inflation as measured by Mercer’s cost of living surveys shows relatively low levels of inflation globally.
The global economic downturn has dramatically changed many real estate markets. Some residential rental markets have been impacted by the credit crisis causing prices to decrease. Markets show signs of weakening as a result of increasing supply. The stock of properties for rent has increased as many new developments are difficult to sell and property owners decide to rent. Another reason for falling prices is rising unemployment and its consequence is decreasing demand.
On the other hand some markets react in the opposite way, because it is more difficult to get mortgage to buy property, people prefer to rent causing rising demand and as a result increasing prices.
Currency movements
The period from March 2008 to March 2009 was characterised by important currency fluctuations; in particular the US dollar strengthened against a number of currencies worldwide while the Euro weakened to the US dollar. The Euro has lost almost 13% against the US dollar and to currencies pegged to the US dollar. During the same period, the British pound has lost more than 26% against the US dollar.
Consequences of the currency movements on the expatriate compensation
Currency movements have a direct impact on the Cost of Living index. To illustrate this point, consider a transfer from Washington DC to London. In March 2008 the Cost of Living index Mean to Mean index was 140 (with Washington DC as 100). In March 2009, following the loss in value of the British pound to the US dollar, the Cost of living index dropped to 103 to reflect the increase in purchasing power of the USD in GBP terms (in the timeframe from March 2008 to March 2009, the USD has gained 35.9% against the GBP).
However, the important point is that for the assignee in London, despite this tremendous drop in the COL index, there was NO decrease in the combined spendable income and cost of living allowance in GBP terms. In other words, the same spendable income in USD adjusted by the new lower COL index and converted at the new exchange rate gives the stable host purchasing part as shown in the table below from 2009 data.
I know he’s been on a bit of a mission but his post is valid. On this occasion he’s not comparing Canada with anywhere else, merely pointing out that terms and conditions for truck drivers there are on a long term downward spiral according to the stats he quoted. I suspect he’s probably right on that.
As far as the UK goes that process of driving down the value of the job continues. I’m currently contracted to what I’d regard as a reasonable job but it’s plain that the process of controlling costs has now become firmly focused on the transport operation and it won’t be a positive outcome for drivers.
For those who think the Canadian package is much better than here I can only say I sincerely hope it continues for you but I wouldn’t bet my house on it.
I just posted the data on that for expats to chew on dont expect robbbie to get past thew first few words then he will be lost. Anyone else it is there for all for you to chew on that is from a Irish firm so we know it will be accurate.
Robbbie not going to have a debate with you, I dont believe in assaulting unarmed people. Before you post gibberish maybe find out all the facts Canada sits in the middle of cost of living and is higher in real wages paid compared to many countries. There is also the healthcare ect to take into account. Pre 1969 there was no universal health start thinking before you start putting your foot into it. I am generally a nice person but I really despise mental midgets.
44 Tonne Ton:
I know he’s been on a bit of a mission but his post is valid. On this occasion he’s not comparing Canada with anywhere else, merely pointing out that terms and conditions for truck drivers there are on a long term downward spiral according to the stats he quoted. I suspect he’s probably right on that.
His point is not valid, it is ridiculous. Up to the introduction of the minimum wage, drivers in the UK had seen their bottom lines drop over the course of surprisingly few years as taxes rose but incomes did not. The minimum wage increased basic earnings but they have hardly really increased since then. Now that many firms have closed their gates, the minimum wage is more of the norm than anything else.
Over here, you get paid by the mile, so the more you do then the more you earn. Because the inflation figure is reasonably low and reasonably stable, Canada has ridden the storm of the past year or so better than anywhere and people have been able to keep working. While my money has not gone up by much, that is really only because I am not on deck anymore.
This long term downward spiral does apply to the UK, but I have noticed nothing close to downward in Canada. I am here, he is not and neither are you. Get your facts straight and stop feeding this troll.
bobthedog:
44 Tonne Ton:
I know he’s been on a bit of a mission but his post is valid. On this occasion he’s not comparing Canada with anywhere else, merely pointing out that terms and conditions for truck drivers there are on a long term downward spiral according to the stats he quoted. I suspect he’s probably right on that.His point is not valid, it is ridiculous. Up to the introduction of the minimum wage, drivers in the UK had seen their bottom lines drop over the course of surprisingly few years as taxes rose but incomes did not. The minimum wage increased basic earnings but they have hardly really increased since then. Now that many firms have closed their gates, the minimum wage is more of the norm than anything else.
Over here, you get paid by the mile, so the more you do then the more you earn. Because the inflation figure is reasonably low and reasonably stable, Canada has ridden the storm of the past year or so better than anywhere and people have been able to keep working. While my money has not gone up by much, that is really only because I am not on deck anymore.
This long term downward spiral does apply to the UK, but I have noticed nothing close to downward in Canada. I am here, he is not and neither are you. Get your facts straight and stop feeding this troll.
youtube.com/watch?v=lvD8WcrdK5o
Get off your high horse and get your facts straight. I didn’t quote any facts! I did however express an opinion which is what this board is supposed to be about, trying to have a debate and get to the heart of things but the mongrel knows all…GIRUY!
44 Tonne Ton:
I know he’s been on a bit of a mission but his post is valid. On this occasion he’s not comparing Canada with anywhere else, merely pointing out that terms and conditions for truck drivers there are on a long term downward spiral according to the stats he quoted. I suspect he’s probably right on that.
As far as the UK goes that process of driving down the value of the job continues. I’m currently contracted to what I’d regard as a reasonable job but it’s plain that the process of controlling costs has now become firmly focused on the transport operation and it won’t be a positive outcome for drivers.
For those who think the Canadian package is much better than here I can only say I sincerely hope it continues for you but I wouldn’t bet my house on it.
He doesn’t actually have a point though, he is a wind up, plain and simple
Think the Canadian package is much better? I live it every day mate, I don’t need to think, I know
If I converted my Canadian Dollar wages into Pound Notes I would be earning more than the average lorry driver in the UK, but I get paid in Dollars and spend Dollars, so let’s assume that a Dollar and a Pound are of equal value, over here houses are cheaper, cars are cheaper, fuel is cheaper, insurance is cheaper, groceries are on par, luxuries can be cheaper, but even at their worst they’re on par and I earn double in Dollars compared to what my wages in Pounds were/would be, therefore cost of living is a lot lower here, so that’s a big box ticked.
Now quality of life, that is also much better, the streets are safe, people are friendly, kids go out to play/hang out, not to terrorise, we don’t have to watch our Ps and Qs in case we offend some minority or another, the whole atmosphere is so much nicer, of course it may not suit everyone and I’m sure some pedant will come up with crime figures that show otherwise, but as a refugee of SE London, I promise you that the worst Canada has to offer is a nirvana compared to the mean streets of London/any big UK city.
Now I’m not a part of the Canadian Tourist Board, I don’t care if you like the place or not, in fact I wouldn’t want everyone to, that way I can continue to enjoy it without it being full of British riff raff 
but when somebody goes off on one, saying that we’re all mugs and the place is a dump/con/whatever, it gets my goat, I’m no mug, never have been, a blanket statement has been made that the place is crap, well I disagree 
Well said NMM.you didn’t mention not locking your house or car,or when you pull into a truckstop this time of year you’ll get a free coffee/cookie from the server because drivers are appreciated.Most of my customers are wishing me and my family a happy holiday,not get that [zb] lorry moved.Small things make the world of difference.
Re-spelling or doctoring a word to dodge the auto-censor DOES NOT make the word become acceptable. dd.
flat to the mat:
Well said NMM.you didn’t mention not locking your house or car,or when you pull into a truckstop this time of year you’ll get a free coffee/cookie from the server because drivers are appreciated.Most of my customers are wishing me and my family a happy holiday,not get that [zb] lorry moved.Small things make the world of difference.
Not only do I not lock it, I can leave it running when I run into a shop so it’s nice and warm inside when I get back in it, my car is pretty decent too, if it was back in the UK I would have to nail it down
Appreciation, you raise a good point there, I’ve just loaded at Versacold in LA, as you know they’re a huge cold store company, like TDG Novacold or Frigoscandia, but bigger, I booked in an hour late (rush hour in Los Angeles can be painful 
) the bloke behind the desk, yes desk, not window, said put it on bay 13, 30mins later he was standing at my driver’s door with my notes and the seal, he wished me a happy xmas and the usual have a good trip, now that’s the way we should be treated, over here we are, it’s the same at every place we go to, even the biggest companies will fax customs paperwork off for you, if you have to wait a few minutes they apologise for keeping you waiting, even though they’re doing you a favour, there’s a hell of a lot more than ocean seperating us from the UK
It is nice also if you have kids that in the summer you can actually rent places at lakes for a motorhome for almost nothing. Let them be kids all summer instead of getting into it in a city. There is alot of activities for kids even in the smaller towns. You can rent a nice lake lot for $100.00 per month with power included.
I get what you’re saying about the difference between there and here but you seem to be missing my point? In the western industrialised world there has been a constant downward pressure on terms and conditions over the last 30 years or so. This can only be achieved where there’s a surplus of labour or an alternative source of cheap labour. Why do you think UK ltd has had such an open door policy over the years? What is Canada doing now? Importing cheap labour to drive trucks including labour from the Indian sub continent where it doesn’t get any cheaper. My original point was not about which was best, Canada or UK, but whether the long term trend there is following what’s happened in Europe.
If you want to know which I think is best I’d have to say I believe it depends almost entirely on the attitude of the individual involved but I have no doubt I personally would enjoy Canada!
Downward pressure in all sectors not just trucking, once pay was 12+ for a cashier at a grocery now its minimum with no benefits and part time. The WalMarts of the world corporate greed at its best. 5% of the world population hold 95% of the worlds wealth, the other 95% hold only 5 %. Now companies are free to build plants in China and pay what would amount to slave labor in the west. Then ship everything here to be sold without a drop in the price per item. Cut costs dont pass on anything to the customer, get as much as you can in your own pocket and screw everyone else. Then you can pass that on to your worthless kids, who have never worked a day in their lives. Who in turn can treat everyone who does the physical work for them like ■■■■, and pat the chair warmers on the back for a job well done. The auto manufacturing is another wages and consessions through the 80’s and 90’s car prices did not fall the quality of the cars did, and then billions in loans this past couple years. I have actually been inside a Microsoft office you know how they are able to keep the best people ? They dont treat them like ■■■■ it was one of the best places I have ever seen for work conditions.
Actually had mutiple coffee and soda machines, chips sandwiches, ect all free for the employees. People sitting on exercise balls at their desks, none of this you have to sit in these back busters.
I wasn’t on a high horse.
This moron, and you can say what you wish but the description is accurate, comes along every little while and posts some bull against Canada. Like it or not, there are people who wish to come here and if idiots like this are not contradicted in strenuous ways then they may get put off and end up regretting not trying it. If they are put off by a fool like that then it is sinful.
As for the downward spiral, he specified here and mentioned nothing of just how appalling it is over there now. Everywhere has seen things move away from the golden era where you earned more money that the job currently pays, but the situation is not as bad here.
Considering that transporter drivers used to get huge bonus payments for no damage, and tanker drivers used to get big money, things are certainly worse there.
Do you have to join his pathetic doom and gloom? See, we, NMM, FTTM and I, have seen both sides.