What are worker benefits? We all strive for health, wealth and fulfilling leisure.
Technological developments drive higher quality living: life in 2006 is orders of magnitude better than life in 1906 – for the wealthiest and the poorest.
Paid work supports health, allows for the accumulation of wealth and is generally a prerequisite for fulfilling leisure. It also promotes social gender equality, reduces the number of children women have, and improves women’s health and longevity.
Higher employment drives consumption which drives technological development which improves quality of life.
Regarding social sector effects it is to be remembered that for most of us, in our striving for health, wealth and fulfilling leisure, we do not do the small things that need to be done consistently. It is the complex cumulative of individual actions and omissions that produce individual health, wealth and fulfilling leisure not the actions of large corporates.
Before criticising, we should examine carefully the social sector effects of wage deflation and higher productivity. In all ecologies things are not simple.