[Patreon] Anyone else bothered by how European vacation time gets talked about by Doug?
Yes, European economies have problems. But cutting workers' rights isn't the fix. Racing China (or anyone else) to the bottom on labor standards is a losing game. The American model (arguably, depends on what you do)higher salaries but worse conditions (healthcare tied to your job, longer hours, less job security), just isn't worth it, in my opinion. European labor is more expensive and complicated for employers, sure, but the living standards it produces are real.
As a German, this hits close to home: the chancellor wants people working more, taking less vacation, less paternity leave, working through sickness, etc. But Germany's economic problems run much deeper than "people take too much vacation." The proposed fix barely moves the needle on the real issues while costing workers a lot personally.