Guy Standing at AUT

4 comments on “Guy Standing at AUT ”

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1. Philip Ferguson 1

   20 February 2015 at 3:18 pm

   These days the precariat seems central to the operations of capitalism. Hardly anyone’s job today is all that secure and a substantial layer of workers are in jobs with zero contract hours or especially precarious work.

   ‘Flexible’ labour, for instance, is one of the bullshit terms capitalist hacks/ideologues use.

   Some examples in New Zealand:
   NZ temp economy and the growing need for flexible labour: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/bending-over-backwards-new-zealands-temp-economy-and-the-growing-need-for-flexible-labour/

   IT and the rise of NZ’s modern servant class: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/information-technology-and-the-rise-of-new-zealands-modern-servant-class/

   A member of the precariat writes of his experience as a young working chef: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/the-real-working-life-of-a-chef-a-view-from-the-inside/

   And while no-one doubts Guy Standing’s sincerity and the usefulness of his research, the same workers also writes rather critically of the contents of one of his meetings:
   https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/7661/
2. Philip Ferguson 2

   20 February 2015 at 3:32 pm

   Worth hearing, although these days the precariat seems central to the operations of New Zealand capitalism.

   Hardly anyone’s job today is all that secure and a substantial layer of workers are in jobs with zero contract hours or other especially precarious work.

   ‘Flexible labour’ is one of the bullshit terms capitalist hacks/ideologues use. It’s interesting how these ideologues have kind of commandeered positive words – like flexible – in order to justify things that are thoroughly negative for workers/employees (ie the big majority).

   Some examples in New Zealand:
   NZ temp economy and the growing need for flexible labour: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/bending-over-backwards-new-zealands-temp-economy-and-the-growing-need-for-flexible-labour/

   IT and the rise of NZ’s modern servant class: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/information-technology-and-the-rise-of-new-zealands-modern-servant-class/

   A member of the precariat writes of his experience as a young working chef: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/the-real-working-life-of-a-chef-a-view-from-the-inside/

   And while no-one doubts Guy Standing’s sincerity and the usefulness of his research, the same worker also writes rather critically of the contents of one of his meetings:
   https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/7661/
3. weka 3

   20 February 2015 at 8:03 pm

   Also on Natrad on Sunday morning,

   
   10:20 Guy Standing – The Precariat Charter

   Guy Standing, professor of development studies at the University of London, is the author of The Precariat Charter: from Denizens to Citizens, a follow up to his bestselling The Precariat Charter. Professor Standing argues that 800 years after the Magna Carta the time has come for a new charter representing the interests of those facing job insecurity and disenfranchisement internationally.

   http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday
4. Murray Simmonds 4

   22 February 2015 at 11:18 am

   Professor Guy Standing was interviewed on RNZ National this morning.

   Absolutely brilliant.

   I’m off to buy the book. This is pretty much EXACTLY what NZ, and the rest of the world needs to hear more of.

   And exactly what the world needs to hear a helluva lot LESS of, is mainstream economic theory with its outmoded 18th and 19th Century ideals and underlying principles and “givens”.

   You know, the crap about the free market and all that other neo-liberal bullshit that so over-dominates current economic debate, and in the case of NZ currently dominates government policy. The crap that keeps the top 1% very happy, ‘cos that is how they made their money and that is how they want to keep on making it at the expense of the remaining 99%, for who classical mainstream economic theory delivers next to nothing.

   Guy Standing’s interview was a real breath of fresh air. Look up the meaning of the PRECARIAT, and a brief summary of his position on Wikipedia or elsewhere. its truly inspirational stuff!

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