Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

Our Philosophies:

All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.

Our Goals

Higher wages for underpaid workers.
Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
Better and fewer working hours.
Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.

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Larian publishing director on mass layoffs: 'None of these companies are at risk of going bankrupt. They were just at risk of pissing off the shareholders' (www.pcgamer.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Speaking with Game File (users will encounter a paywall) at the Game Developers Choice Awards, Larian director of publishing Michael Douse gave his take on the current state of the industry, including some sharp criticism on the wave after wave of mass layoffs we've been seeing.

"They are an avoidable fuck-up," Douse said. "That's all they really are. That's why you see one after the other. Because companies are going: 'Well, finally. Now we can, too. We've wanted to do it for ages. Everyone else is. So why don't we?' That's really kind of sick."

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

No, I don’t think so. CEOs don’t just make these decisions for strictly monetary gain. Otherwise literally every company would be constantly conducting layoffs or whatever short-term tactics to push the stock up so the C-Suite could cash in.

The BoD and shareholders absolutely do have clout in company decisions, mostly large shareholders pressuring the BoD, but the a smaller shareholder selling off and helping tank stock value has power as well though unfortunately they’re usually the last to get their order in.

Would some CEO knowingly start pulling strings to maximize short term gain and sell off assets to make a buck on a company that’s not doing well? Sure. Happens all the time, Sears comes to mind as a fairly recent company that got fucked over for a buck. Toys’r Us too. But those companies were in real trouble. If Best Buy goes that way you’ll know it.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That's not true. Running businesses into offshoring/ankruptcy is very profitable.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Ok, maybe I wasn’t clear. Usually a company is already in some sort of trouble when the vultures descend on it. That was the point I was trying to include in what I said in the last paragraph.

Yes, absolutely, disassembling a company and offshoring is profitable.