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On the First of May \u2013 traditionally the festival of Spring, new life, and hope \u2013 We\u00a0 join the world celebrating International Workers Day, established originally to mark working people\u2019s fight to win back control over their own time.<\/p>\n
With pressure mounting on traditional paid work through neoliberal policies and automation, we see Unconditional Basic Income as the idea that will deliver new hope for people suffering from stressful working conditions, insufficient wages or meaningless jobs.<\/p>\n
Today, many are working far too hard just for survival, often needing two or three jobs to get by, often loaded down by debt. Others are cut out of the labour market altogether and exist on debt, charity and\/or welfare. Many waste their talents in meaningless \u2018bullshit jobs\u2019. This is damaging to everyone\u2019s family and community life, physical and mental health.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith basic income, every worker will have more options to say \u2018No\u2019 to work seen as senseless while being better able to do work seen as needed. We will have more \u2018good work\u2019 that is authentic,\u201d says Ulrich Schachtschneider, sociologist from Oldenburg, Germany and board member of Unconditional Basic Income Europe.<\/p>\n
Back in 1930, John Maynard Keynes predicted that his grandchildren would be working 15 hour weeks for their livelihoods. Today, when technology could make this a reality, most developed economies are heading towards longer working times and lower wages. Often workers\u2019 organisations end up supporting these developments out of fear of being left without any income at all.<\/p>\n
Despite the European Union\u2019s 2020 goals, poverty is now on the rise again, and wealth inequality is now at its worst since the industrial revolution began. There are more jobs, but income growth has only been seen by the top 5% of wage-earners.<\/p>\n
Basic income is therefore a necessary solution to start closing the inequality gap, to unlink survival from paid work. This would give working people control over their time, whether spent in paid jobs, in other socially useful work or in leisure activities.<\/p>\n
On May Day, we call on everyone to stand with all who struggle for shorter hours, better working conditions, higher pay and more meaningful work. Equally we stand with all who care unpaid for family and friends, our communities and our environment, all who work for a better society.<\/p>\n