zlacker

> Anyway eventually regulation caught up and ended the low pay loopholes. So now a job at those factories pays half a million kroner a year, or more than I earn as a senior IT-architect.

I think this is an important point that many people seem to gloss over when discussing what humans _deserve_ to be paid.

Many believe the uniqueness of a skill set or how much physical stress is inherent to a position should be the only factors which increase a salary.

But the point you highlight here says that the amount of soul-crushing misery a position entails should also play a significant role when determining salaries.

It seems that in many countries, companies can get away with paying soul-crushing positions so terribly because so many people are coerced into these jobs--forced to choose between incredibly soul-crushing, low paying positions or watch their families starve, become homeless, not be able to afford medical care etc...

Which leads me to wonder if there are any societal changes we could make in order to nudge salaries to reflect when a job is mentally abusive. Similar to how pay typically reflects when a job is physically abusive.

I'm guessing Denmark has a decent safety net which forces companies to actually factor in mental abuse of a position when they're formulating salaries which ensures their citizens are compensated accordingly?

>>toofy+(OP)
This also shows why high import taxes are a necessity. Not an option for Denmark (because they've signed away that authority to Brussels), but a necessity nonetheless.

>>candio+02
> This also shows why high import taxes are a necessity.

How so? To artificially keep salaries high?

>>toofy+J2
To prevent factories from avoiding low worker wages by producing in an area where those abusive salaries are allowed by the government, or even are the pervasive wages.

I would have no problem with producing locally where it makes sense, but not to avoid minimum legal standards for wages (or for that matter for other things like environment).

>>toofy+(OP)
I have to disagree here. If a job causes soul crushing misery, it just shouldn't be allowed, period. If the people of Denmark can't stomach slaughtering animals for a living without being coerced into it then the people of Denmark should be vegetarians. Meat and fish should simply stop being sold or produced.

>>toofy+(OP)
> Which leads me to wonder if there are any societal changes we could make in order to nudge salaries to reflect when a job is mentally abusive. Similar to how pay typically reflects when a job is physically abusive.

A basic income would work here. If people aren't forced to take a job out of economic necessity then unpleasant jobs will need to pay more to attract people to do them.