Study finds that Mexicans have longest work days.

**barnesfoto** · April-19-11, 11:36 PM

A study issued this month by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that Mexicans work the longest days of people in any of the 30 countries studied by the global organization. Yet Mexicans remain among the developed world's poorest.

Mexicans dedicate about 10 hours a day [[Mexican women work longer than men) to "paid and unpaid work." That's about an hour more on average than the Japanese; Belgians work the least, the OECD says.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2812402.story

http://www.oecd.org

**Django** · April-20-11, 01:13 AM

Ive always liked those Belgians.

**canuck** · April-20-11, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Django

Ive always liked those Belgians.

Yes, if they manage to make those great belgian fries and/or waffles in less time, all the more power to them...
Kidding aside, Mexico is in a pretty deplorable shape and there is no let up. I wished that NAFTA would have made a difference back when, but evidently it is getting worse not better...

**GOAT** · April-20-11, 08:09 AM

Fuck NAFTA! Free trade with the USA is smart as it is with other 1st world nations. But free trade with a country with little safety regulations, environment policies and low wages are destroying our western way of life.
Sorry but the world is a pyramid and we are on top. There isn't enough room for every country to be there and I surely do not want to trade places. You feel bad for them? Then go there and lend a hand but don't trade my quality of life for your bleeding heart.

**HistoryNotHisStory** · April-20-11, 08:30 AM

What is not mentioned is that in Latin America culture they have two-hour siestas.

**Johnnny5** · April-20-11, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by GOAT

Fuck NAFTA! Free trade with the USA is smart as it is with other 1st world nations. But free trade with a country with little safety regulations, environment policies and low wages are destroying our western way of life.
Sorry but the world is a pyramid and we are on top. There isn't enough room for every country to be there and I surely do not want to trade places. You feel bad for them? Then go there and lend a hand but don't trade my quality of life for your bleeding heart.

Not exactly how I would put it, but I agree none the less.

**HistoryNotHisStory** · April-20-11, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by GOAT

Fuck NAFTA! Free trade with the USA is smart as it is with other 1st world nations. But free trade with a country with little safety regulations, environment policies and low wages are destroying our western way of life.
Sorry but the world is a pyramid and we are on top. There isn't enough room for every country to be there and I surely do not want to trade places. You feel bad for them? Then go there and lend a hand but don't trade my quality of life for your bleeding heart.

America is digressing because our students are digressing. It is expected that in the next 10 years China will surpass America in science and research. ...

**GOAT** · April-20-11, 09:31 AM

I believe that is a large piece of the pie as well. After all, all kids are special, all kids deserve an award, all kids need to be coddled and bubble-wrapped. No wonder we are in the shape we are in.

**canuck** · April-20-11, 10:37 AM

Hey Goat, relax. I'm only wishing conditions were better for people in Mexico and last time I checked, not everybody is driving an Avalanche to work here either. Spreading the wealth around the world in emerging nations will mean more strain on resources if we want to hold on to a half of the junk we care for around here. Maybe the coddling and bubble wrapping makes it hard for you to share your toys, Goatee!

GUSHI · April-20-11, 11:33 AM

I agree who knows how long we will be on top,

Originally Posted by goat

fuck nafta! Free trad,e with the usa is smart as it is with other 1st world nations. But free trade with a country with little safety regulations, environment policies and low wages are destroying our western way of life.
Sorry but the world is a pyramid and we are on top. There isn't enough room for every country to be there and i surely do not want to trade places. You feel bad for them? Then go there and lend a hand but don't trade my quality of life for your bleeding heart.

**barnesfoto** · April-20-11, 02:26 PM

There are no "two hour siestas" in Mexico, [[where I lived in the late 90s) or in any of the Latin American countries I have visited, perhaps the poster is confusing Mexico with Spain, where there is [[often) a two-hour midday break for lunch.

The article, I think, shows us the fallacy that by just having low taxes and wages, less safety regulations, and implementing free trade laws, a country can prosper.

These economic policies, the same ones that our conservocrite friends keep touting, have made life better for Mexico's tiny and very wealthy elite, at the expense of the rest of the society.

Did somebody say "Fuck Nafta?"

I would add to that "Fuck low taxes and wages".

**Papasito** · April-20-11, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by barnesfoto

Mexicans dedicate about 10 hours a day
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2812402.story

http://www.oecd.org

I work from 7 am to 5:30 pm with no lunch break or breaks of any kind, Monday through Friday. I work from 8 am to 5 pm on Saturday. I'd love to have a Mexican 50 hour work week. It would feel like a vacation.
Mondern America knows that they can screw you over and make you work as many hours as they want, especially if they know you are commissioned, flat rate, or salaried, because you can't find work anywhere else. Bend over, take it, America. You have no choice, if you want a job.

Dr. Emil · April-20-11, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Papasito

I work from 7 am to 5:30 pm with no lunch break or breaks of any kind, Monday through Friday. I work from 8 am to 5 pm on Saturday. I'd love to have a Mexican 50 hour work week. It would feel like a vacation.
Mondern America knows that they can screw you over and make you work as many hours as they want, especially if they know you are commissioned, flat rate, or salaried, because you can't find work anywhere else. Bend over, take it, America. You have no choice, if you want a job.

Sounds like you could benefit from a collective bargaining agreement.

**Redleg81** · April-20-11, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by Dr. Emil

Sounds like you could benefit from a collective bargaining agreement.

From what I've gleaned from Papasito's view, he would snort in derision..... However, here's a true story from my brief touch of union organizing when I worked for a small trucking concern: Without going into to many details, I worked for a small mom and pop operation that pushed its workers unfairly, and put us on the road with unsafe vehicles-- I Personally had my steering wheel come off in my hands as I exited our drive one morning. Anyway, a couple of guys got a teamster's rep to come visit us-- He got there, saw the whole eleven of us, and complained: "That's all of you? Dis ain't worth my freaking time!" and he basically stormed out [[though he did leave us some pamphlets) and drove off in a big huff. Boss's son got wind of this little meet and greet, and fired the two "troublemakers". We "brother" workers apparently weren't worth organizing... Karma did step in a few years later [[after I left) when junior took over daddy's business, ran it further into the ground, got into an ugly divorce, which caused the piecemeal sale of that little concern...

**Papasito** · April-21-11, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Redleg81

From what I've gleaned from Papasito's view, he would snort in derision..... ..

Workers in Florida and other "right to work" states have no rights.
If you complain, you are "lucky you have a job".
I would love to have rights, and work decent hours, and spend more time with my kids.
There needs to be a balance between workers rights and Employer profits.
When times are good, things for the employee are much better, but in economic times like today, employers know they can abuse the $hiT out of you, and you can't do anything about it. It isn't like you can just go find a job the next day and your life won't skip a beat.

Employers know they have Americans by the balls right now.

**GOAT** · April-21-11, 05:09 PM

Papsito, I'm not a socialist in any way but I believe the employers are not going to have leverag much longer. Since wages aren't keeping up with rising energy costs, food costs and lack of jobs. I expect a return to some serious demonstrations and possible violence in North America within a decade.

**oladub** · April-21-11, 05:42 PM

Wages haven't kept up with inflation because every administration, including the present one, going back to Reagan have supported import and immigration policies which have destroyed the demand for US workers. When there is little demand for US workers, private sector unions lose their leverage and die. Why should any any corporate executive hire US union workers when our federal government has made it so easy to hire someone else for less than half the price domestically and for only a small fraction of the price internationally? Obama has even invited in hard working Mexican truckers to displace US truckers and is using US taxpayer money to retrofit Mexican trucks with better brakes.

**Papasito** · April-26-11, 01:57 PM

Everyone always complains about how the rich should have thier taxes raised, how everyone should have thier taxes raised, how companies should have thier taxes raised, but no one ever thinks about the trillions of lost tax revenue caused by free trade agreements between the US and Hostile countries.

Selling your products in the United States is a privelige worth paying for. This economy was built with the blood of our ancestors. Our nation has created [[at least for now) the greatest economy on the planet, and giving countries who clearly take advantage of "free trade" agreements is clearly hurting us a nation.

**Redleg81** · April-26-11, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Papasito

Everyone always complains about how the rich should have thier taxes raised, how everyone should have thier taxes raised, how companies should have thier taxes raised, but no one ever thinks about the trillions of lost tax revenue caused by free trade agreements between the US and Hostile countries.

Selling your products in the United States is a privelige worth paying for. This economy was built with the blood of our ancestors. Our nation has created [[at least for now) the greatest economy on the planet, and giving countries who clearly take advantage of "free trade" agreements is clearly hurting us a nation.

Papasito, generally I agree with what you're saying with maybe a proviso that the so called "free trade" that is hurting us average joes was set up by the elite-- No matter what their nationality. The international corporate elite care little for political boundaries, and only regard them when it suits their agenda. The bottom line is all that matters, never mind the social disruptions caused by closing down American manufacturing, or how the peasant Mexican farmer is fucked when his labor intensive methods go head to head with the mechanized agri-business of the U.S. We're all pawns [[or fast becoming so) no matter what flag is waving over our heads....