Thanks for the reply, I really didn't have any disagreement about your points, but since you enumerated your points, let me respond by the number;
1. "rich" is very relative, and in relation to the income of the line employees, I think the owners of any lift truck company factory qualify as already "rich" (especially in relation to me, and not neccessarly just holders of some stock). I am willing to bet they are still not making a choice between eating lunch at a fast food place or buying the generic medicine their kid needs, and I sure do know some forklift techs that have had to make that choice this week. Having a flock of kids can be expensive.
I really have noticed that -everyone- is having less than what they were having about 2 years ago.
2.) so a sharp stick in the eye is better than a broken leg.
I do know that some job is better than NO job, but if you are already -only- earning "a fair days wage for a fair days work" 320 a week to stay home and watch TV, after all the expenses (tools, shoes, commute fuel + car insurance, health insurance, meals away from home, etc..) the bigger problem is that not only does that "run out", but since that amount is tied to how much your wage was when you got "made redundant", once you start working for a smaller wage, the amount unemployment pays amount goes down with it. it is a "no win, but you HAVE to play"
3.) I have found myself suddenly without a job, and I am all for making lemonade when life hands you lemons, but not everyone is as fortunate as we have been. I can not take the credit for the good jobs I have been given ["there but by the grace of God go I'].
You say "How it was calculated then vs. today is a non issue.", well for -ME-, I wanted to bring it up, for -you- and _your_ points, it was a non issue. What seems obvious to you, with our long term historical view, may not seem as obvious to someone with out your/our "life experience".
All that said, I do hope everyone keeps needing more and more forklifts, and I do hope and expect the owners of the factories and their managers would be making more than most people, I think when they do it right, it really improves the lives of soooo many people, not just the people in the forklift industry, but everyone who uses something that was moved by a forklift is slightly better off for them "getting it right", and everything is moved by a forklift somewhere.
"It is not a good situation any way you look at it"
ahhh, come on, at least real estate prices are low? [just trying to find the silver lining]
I would hope there was work for everyone that wanted a good job, as I think we all would. I hope we figure out how to get everyone back to work.
Maybe the answer is a 32 hour work week? and mandatory overtime after 32 hours?