No Hope for Fairness in The Job Market

In ideal economics the labour market is supposed to offer a fair wage to employers, in line with the principles of supply and demand.  Basically workers and employers enter into a relationship, whereas the employer pays the worker at the market rate to do a reasonable job.  The worker can leave, and get another job, which prevents the employer paying too little, or expecting too much.  The employer can fire the employee and employ a new one, which prevents the worker not working, or not living up to expectations in some way.

In this should be the balance by which workers get paid a fair days pay for a fair days work.  It is the principle on which our system is based here in the UK and in the USA.  However, there would appear to be a big hole in it. Its just not really true.  Because workers have a basic need to live, and employers hold a monopoly on the means on production, the relationship is unfair.

In the UK en employer can fire an employee for no reason in the first year of their employment.  They may also provide an unsatisfactory reference, infringing further employment options.   Or, more importantly, the employee can take no actions against their employer, so the reason for firing them is of no importance.  After that the employee gets some rights.  However, in a part time, or low paid jobs, the difficulty in the legal process, combined with the day to day power of the employer really does reduce thee rights to almost nothing.

For example, if an employee is employed on a shift basis with no minimum shift levels.   Let us say then that their employer demands that they attend a training course without pay.   This employee may complain, and refuse to attend.  In this result they could be fired, then have to take their case through a long and costly employment tribunal.  They have no guarantee of winning, and would have to prove their case, which would be tricky.  Furthermore, their employer would have been foolish to bother firing them anyhow.  All they need do is to note their lack of attendance, remove any hope of them being promoted, and cut their shifts.   Perhaps in fact making them work: 1130pm to 12am every day seven days a week.  This idea is extreme, must basically deviance along path give employers all of the power.

The importance therefore of the law and trade unions come into their own.  Sadly though as the former is generally formed in favour of the elite class and the a latter are ineffective there is little hope for positive change.