"Rifkin suggests we may have to take the existing work and spread it around. >He says we have to look once more at the question of reduced work time. > I agree with D Henwood's comments that this is nothing new, however I would suggest that this is already happening. Corporations operating in growth industries in Australia for example services and hospitality are increasingly providing part-time, casual and short term contract type employment and other industries are set to follow suit with the further de-regulation of the labour market. The New Zealand experience suggests that unemployment has been reduced but again the employment being offered is part-time, casual etc. leading to a much greater inequality in wealth distribution. (Obviously, this is enhanced by the fact that these workers are more difficult to organise). The question then put slightly differently is how to achieve greater equality in wealth distribution rather than focussing just on employment per se. Certainly, the two need to be considered hand in hand - otherwise corporations will continue to do it anyway without addressing wealth distribution.
