Workers at Chile's ALMA Telescope Strike Over Working Conditions

An anonymous reader writes with this snippet from Deutsche Welle: "'Employees at the world's largest radio telescope have gone on strike after failing to reach agreement over pay and conditions. Workers say they are not sufficiently compensated for isolation and high altitude.' The strike started on Thursday, and the telescope is currently not operating. Although the project's budget is $1.1 billion, an ALMA technician earns less than $2,000 per month. How does this compare with people working at observatories in the U.S., Japan, or the European Union?"

Comments

Apples to Apples.

[sjwt]

These guys are earning $2,000 p/m more than ALMA workers who are working in US, Japan or the EU.

Lets get a comparison of wages earned by locals doing similar skilled jobs.

Re: Apples to Apples.

[causality]

Go find work elsewhere then.

Striking just shows at they can't. Otherwise they already would have.

The flip side is that without unions and the real threat of losses caused by strikes, the next employer in that line of work will merely do the exact same thing. Consider the way that the major cell networks all charge similar rates (including overcharging in many cases for texting) when they are ostensibly competing with each other for customers. If it's not actual collusion it's similar in effect because it's based on a "market rate" which is merely a look at what everyone else is doing.

Now maybe other employers should do the same thing, I'm not giving an opinion there (for those reactive types who can't plainly see that I didn't), just that such an effect is something to consider.

Re: Apples to Apples.

[mcgrew]

I think in US it is not the unions that can help. These are incompetent, corrupt bureaucrats that are charge with tasks that overwhelm them.

Some unions, yes. One I was in at one job was in bed with management and worse than useless, but most are worth far more than the union dues.

Unless your union sucks the union leaders are democratically elected by the union members, and you vote on everything they do, including whether to accept a contract, whether to strike, etc.

If your union sucks it's your own fault.

Re:Premium not enough?

[Anonymous Coward]

It sounds like you are an ass

Re:Premium not enough?

[rastos1]

hey're trying to take advantage and cheat their employer, because they're in a remote area -- making them harder to fire and replace;

How is that cheating? I thought that is a simple demand and supply rule.

Re:Oh boo hoo

[Joining Yet Again]

Oh look, it's the race-to-the-bottom attitude. "I'm suffering, and the solution is to make more people suffer, rather than to lift everyone up."

Meanwhile the guys at the top laugh at you as you remain divided and conquered.

Re:My 3 least favorite things in one sentence

[Anonymous Coward]

english is a european language.

Re:Solidarity

[hoboroadie]

...or could just mean that you can't abide some asshole exploiting your fellow man, and you have the courage to stay and fight.