Conference kaosws::canada

    The plan overseas had unemployement picking up most of the 
    difference in pay for the first year (2 years ?) and after that
    the employee would take the hit. I think the initial pay cut
    was less than 5 %.
    
    
    Were do I sign up
    
    : )
    
    Brian V
    

In!!!

Ben

Does this still include the 6 weeks of holidays they already recieve?
				Allan

    I believe this is what Bell Canada was looking for prior to getting rid
    of a bunch of people recently.
    
    They wanted to have a four day work week, with a reduction in pay for
    it's employees. To make up for the reduction in pay, they wanted to cut
    a deal with the Federal Gov't to give it's employees unemployment 
    insurance. The Fed's quickly said NO - they weren't about to subsidize
    Bell Canada. 
    
    I've read that the 4 day work week in Germany hasn't produced any
    benefits to their economy yet. I believe Volkswagon is still having
    financial troubles and is shifting a lot of production
    overseas....particularly Mexico.
    
    Great concept if you keep your benefits, and a limited pay reduction.
    
    

    DIgital running a 4 day working week in Europe is news to me... unless
    the manufacturing plants are 'thinking' of doing this.
    
    As for Volkswagen, their problems are due to having a product that on
    the whole is overpriced and underspec'd compared to their competitors.
    The German employment laws are also holding back companies like
    Volkswagen in their attempts to remain competitive; it's also the
    reason why you have BMW and Mercedes setting up factories in the USA...
    the labour costs involved in building cars in the USA (and the UK for
    that matter) are halve of the equivalent costs in Germany. In the mid
    to late eighties Volkswagen also went around expanding their empire by
    buying SEAT in Spain and Skoda in Chzeckoslovakia... the latter being
    the only part of Volkswagen that made a profit last year.
    
    In short, 4 day (or less) working weeks in European car plants is not
    unusual.... Unless you happen to be lucky enough to be making Land
    Rovers... In which case a 10 day week isn't long enough !
    
    Reargards,
    
    Stephen
                                                             

Seen in the paper last night where the Human Resource Minister is producing a 
paper on the 4 day work week in Canada. It is due out in the next couple of 
weeks. 

 A four day work week would reduce un-employment by 1.8%.

Many people who were offered a four day work week declined because of fear they
were one step closer to the door.

A survey question asked if people were willing to take a cut in pay in order
to have a four day work week. 70+% said yes. Hmmm.

	Allan

      Now *I'M* so happy I could weep !!!

	

    
    That's because you Kanata types need a extra day just to find a
    *parking* spot.
    
    You want to see the rest of our jobs blow-away, try a four day
    work-week and see what your <insert name here> US head office does.
    Pure fantasy-land.  
    
    
    

    Seems to me that Bell Canada already did this. It was that or layoffs.
    We'll probably see this happen in the public sector, I think.

    And Bell Canada has also significantly backed off on the 4 day work
    week, seems the extra administration and scheduling and customer sat
    problems were wiping out most of the savings.

    
    
    Working a four day week is not too bad????
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Thats what we work here but!!
    
    
    
    
    
    We also work 12hr shifts so a 4 on 4 off work week is okay.

    re bell.
    
    From a local bell contact.
    
    It also ended up costing more in labour hours. Employees if asked to
    work outside of their 4 day regular hours got paid overtime and in the
    field almost all work fell into this area.
    
    
    Brian V
    

    
    	The theory/model of the 4 day work week creates 2 work weeks:
    those who work Mon-Thu and the rest of the world who work Thu-Sun 
    (so unless you're indispensible the opportunity for overtime is
    limited).
    
    This is how the additional employment (reducing income tax outlay)
    and reduction of infrastructure burdens (half the traffic on the roads
    during rush hour, reduced office space and yes parking requirements)
    is achieved.
    
    Mrs. Phd (4-day work week)
    :^)
    

    BUT if we are looking at a 4 day work week to reduce costs....as most
    places these days are...what you end up with is 20 % of the employee 
    population off on any given day..assumed on a rotating basis.
    
    The assumption hear is that the company assumes you be be happier and
    work more efficiently the 80 % that you are here and therefore still
    complete 100 % of your work. This isn't a time share just a pay
    reduction with a day off.
    
    
    IMO
    
    Brian V
    

    4 day work week!  Wow .... I would be happy to have a 5 day
    work week !   
    
    ;^)

    maybe Kanata needs to work 5 full days before thinking of cutting back,
    why with all the backlog,slips, etc.

    SET/MOD
    
    I'm temporarily lifting the rule against attacks on persons. Do the
    right thing.

    Try SET/MOD="prozac"/FULL
    
    Glenn

    You guys don't agree that Kanata can't keep up with demand?  You guys
    don't agree that our quality control at Kanata doesn't compare to our
    other manufacturing sites?
    
    Working in the field receiving a lot of orders for the equipment
    manufactured in Kanata has shown me that beginning at the Plant
    Manager's position and going next to Quality control, we would
    eliminate numerous recurring problems in the field if they did their
    jobs as expected.
    
    Glenn, if I take any more PROZAC I may start sounding like you and man,
    that's scary!

    
    	Glenn, I think I hear a chain being yanked, don't you?

    Does he have one of those old fashioned toilets? How quaint.

    My dad owned a boat manufactured by Richardson.  We loved that boat,
    called it the "All of Us"...unfotunately it sank.

    I think I'm going to cry!
    
    snif.

    
>    My dad owned a boat manufactured by Richardson.  We loved that boat,   
     called it the "All of Us"...unfotunately it sank.
    
    	Well there ya go...if it had been made by DEC in Kanata, you'd
    	never have received it, and if you had it would have been 
    	misconfigured as a travel trailer.  Just think of the trauma
    	you would have been spared... 
    
    
    	

    8-)

    Actually, the Richardson was an old-style Chesapeake Bay Eastern Shore
    power cruiser, 30 ft long, wood, with a Chrysler engine.  It was well
    made, would roll in the waves during rough weather instead of slapping
    the waves, and my dad had it for 10 years before trading "up" to a 28'
    fiberglas fishing boat...even though we called it ALL OF US II, it was
    never the same boat.
    
    Glen, the builder was the great-uncle you were telling me about, eh? 

	Gee, a couple of notes back reminded me of a scene from
	the Good Morning Vietnam movie....wherein Williams states
	that a certain officer is in dire need of a something
	rhyming with dead.

	Musing...

    sled?

    
    
    	You may have heard about the nosedive of the Seagram's stock
    in the past week. It's due to Edgar B. divesting of Dupont in favour
    of heavy interest in MCA (movies/music/tv). 
    
    
    	Edgar says that with the impending 4 day work week and everyone
    having more leisure time on their hands, the entertainment industry
    is where the growth and profits will be.
    
    	I guess the stock market disagrees, but I'm behind you, Edgar!
    
    	Mrs. 3 day weekend

re. -1

Many stockholders feel that trading a cash cow (their share of Dupont
stocks accounted for 70% of Seagram eranings last year) for a big 
piece of Hollywood is not an acceptable risk.


Mike