The wages of workers in the world fell by 3.19% in 2022while those aimed at executive directors increased 9% in real terms, according to a report published by Oxfam Intermón regarding the celebrations for the International work day.
According to the report released this Monday, May 1, 1,000 million workers in 50 countries have suffered an average wage cut of US$685 in 2022 -a joint loss of US$746,000 million in real terms-, compared to what they would have earned ” if wages had grown at the same rate as inflation”.
The figures, adjusted for inflation, are based on the most recent data published by the International Labor Organization (ILO), and government statistical agencies. The global sampling analysis takes the cases of the US, UK, Brazil and India.
Amitabh Behar, interim executive director of Oxfam International, said that while corporations defend the perpetuation of low wages, “their executives and shareholders are pocketing exorbitant amounts.” In this sense, he said that most people “work longer for less money, and cannot cope with the increase in the cost of living.”
“Years of austerity and union busting have widened the gap between the very rich and the rest of the population. On a day when we should celebrate the working class, this flagrant inequality is both alarming and sadly nothing amazing,” Behar said.
The report also reveals that the only increase that workers have noticed “has been in unpaid care work”, with women assuming this responsibility. Every month, women and girls spend at least 380 billion hours in unpaid care work.
For Oxfam, many women workers are often forced to reduce their hours or leave their paid work, “due to the number of hours they must dedicate to care work.” In addition, they continue to face gender discrimination and harassment, all of which is compounded by the pay gap with men doing work of the same value.
“Workers are tired of being the scapegoat every time there is a crisis. Neoliberal thinking blames inflation on everyone except big business, which is profiting from it,” says Behar.
Source: Larepublica
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