Willing Slaves: How the Overwork Culture is Ruling Our Lives - Madeleine Bunting

Willing Slaves: How the Overwork Culture is Ruling Our Lives
by Madeleine Bunting

370pp, Harper Perennial 2005

Paperback: did RRP at 12.99 GBP

Amazon: no more than 2.00 GBP (I purchased it at a private bookstore for 99p)

A short drunken chef propped himself up against me slightly while I queued and watched a new Barista Costa coffee trainee over steam the milk, making it erupt into a white frothy volcano. Completely unperturbed by the hot frothy mess the drunken chef asked me:

“hish, are yoush happy in your shhjob?” – I answered without much thought:

“I guess I am”. The drunken chef replied:

“I’m a chef yoush shee”; as he was in his stained cooking uniform I quipped:

“hard graft I see” –

“Yesh, I’ve bin shampling the winesh, I’ve bin working over chime”.

As the conversation waned – I paid for my caffeinated froth and dispersed towards the comfy seats. The chef wearily wandered back to work, to reconvene his wine sampling. This inadvertently sparked off a thought to a book I got for 99p called ‘Willing Slaves’ - written by Madeleine Bunting; even though deep down I knew this chef was indeed indulging in this overtime beyond the call of duty – but for most of the UK workforce it is a different story.

The exploration of the overwork culture that exists in the UK is a path well trodden – and ‘Willing Slaves’ brings forth a modernized account of how the term ‘slavery’ has fragmented into our work culture. Slavery is embedded into the fabric of UK employment; the expectations are relentless, without being communicated efficiently either. The word ‘slave’ is not a word used in the workplace, in fact it is the unsaid word, if said; the recipient will be severely reprimanded. It is as if over generations this type of so-called work culture has evolved into our DNA. Employers are systematically searching for that ultimate ‘work machine’ – probationary periods are now the norm in all businesses. Yes, it is designed for both parties, but predominantly the hidden quest is to search for that individual who processes that ‘work machine’ ethic. An individual who is willing to lose a vast amount of liberties for the good of the corporation, in return the business expects to pay as little expense as possible - preferably for free.

Dolly Parton is to blame (who sang 9 to 5 in the movie 9 to 5 in 1980)

Bunting relays a passionate account that involves personal experiences, interviews, and modern day research techniques, that simply asks: Why are the majority of our workforces so responsive to being a ‘willing slave?’ Those of you who want evidence in her findings won’t be disappointed; Bunting backs up her stances with valid statistics, anecdotal comments and is armed with the notion of wanting better well-being; in regards to the sick, mental illness, and how the bridge of stress plays the vital link in our work life and illness. These are not ‘new’ theories that Bunting prizes open for her readership. Essayists, such as Orwell and CS Lewis have been grandiose in their cultural wisdom and writings: they shared the concerns ever since the introduction of the new industrial age and its henchman ‘capitalism’.

“Let us not be deceived by phrases about 'Man taking charge of his own destiny'. All that can really happen is that some men will take charge of the destiny of the others”. C S Lewis - ‘Willing Slaves of the Welfare State’ 1958.

‘Willing Slaves’ is a book written with simplistic clarity – each chapter is in five parts and they all carefully flow into each other. The sub heading ‘The unfinished revolution’ is a female dissident’s pleasure dome; it is fast paced and portrays a fascinating insight in regards to women and work - and asks questions why the financial markets now open up at 7 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.? Making the financial world and the global markets orbiting it, an incessant 24/7 bee hive of activity. There is no rest; any form of financial mishaps within hours will create shockwaves to every developed nation. No such thing as damage limitation anymore; by which could be possible via a couple of hour window slot, now it is impossible: yes, there are pros to having interlinked stock exchanges however one thing for sure; the global markets link up curtails a work, life autonomy. Not just for financial sectors, but for every corporation who has international clients. One in ten Fathers’ works in excess of sixty hour weeks, the reason is to keep their jobs - keep ahead of proceedings. These are in turn, dictated via the demand imposed by the hamster wheel syndrome (capitalism and the elected authorities of be). This analogy has swept over our very own consciousness – a simile would be fog descending in from the sea onto the moors. One minute you’re working effectively doing a 37.5 hour week, the next it is the punishing 60 hour week, not including the traffic jams at 7.30 p.m - for no increase in salary. Nowadays, the austerity program has frozen the public sector’s pay, since 2009; Bunting foresaw the scenario in 2004 claiming that the female pay crunch is imminent. It sounds surreal identifying ‘female pay crunch’ – it isn’t incorrect due to the basic fact that the UK public sector consists of 41% of the entire female workforce. A high proportion of women is either on short-term contracts, on flexi-time, or employed part-time, due to family commitments.

Due to the Industrial age, freedom has diminished along with religious persuasion. It isn’t the local vicar dictating how to live our lives as he once did, no, we’ve allowed emotive managers access to our personal organisers, emails, pagers, and smart-phones. They’re not to be blamed because above he/she is the managing director and then it is the CEO, and he/she is questionable to business regulation imposed by the current government aid, and the hierarchy list of incognito business regulative/bill pushers; hiding within the fabrics of power.

Thanks to the unions in the past, who were significant in the abolishment of child labour; a form of revolutionary well-being enforcement is necessary that is designed to override work ethic and introduce a workable alternative called ‘wisdom ethic’. And under the heading of ‘wisdom ethic’ – well-being should take centre stage – whereby the authorities find out by asking questions what constitutes lasting human happiness. Perhaps a happiness survey is the answer? Perhaps Cameron and the coalition should follow up Bunting’s ideology – ah wait, I distinctly remember Cameron speaking of a happiness survey being handed out to all UK households. I never received one. Did you?

If you want to know more about why UK citizens work so hard; ‘Willing Slaves’ by Madeleine Bunting is definitely worth a ‘punt’ – great for after dinner debates; Recommended.©1st2thebar2012