From: | Nexx Many-Scars nexx@********.net |
---|---|
Subject: | Housing Wageslaves (was Re: Megacorporate Power (or lack thereof) |
Date: | Tue, 11 May 1999 21:20:09 -0500 |
From: Robert Watkins <robert.watkins@******.com>
>
> Now, they can either pay them in nuyen, or put them up in totally
equipped
> corporate enclaves. Remeber, these people are not vital to the success of
> the company, they just your typical commoditized employee. I can't see
them
> being put up in enclaves...
Actually, this can go two ways. If they pay them in nuyen, they've got to
pay them enough to buy retail, as well as find and pay for housing in the
competitive Seattle Market, which means the employees cost more real money.
This also means, however, they don't need to keep up any facilities or
enter the supermarket business.
OTOH, paying them in scrip and having them live in housing means that the
company has to pay to keep up housing, and people such as maintenance men.
This also includes things like opening some sort of Super-Wal-Mart level
store, where the folks can buy what they need. They also need to keep up
schools, because the kids having to leave the enclave isn't going to help
them, since the parents will want to live near schools. This saves money,
though, since the corporation can pay wholesale for the items in these
stores, and charge retail... but in scrip, which keeps the money in the
family. Also, they can monitor their employees very carefully with this
option... a few cameras placed in homes (maintained by company men),
knowing who and when people leave the compound... a lot of control,
especially if the compound is set up to be self-contained (from a residents
POV).
I think there would be a huge mix, and not just at the sensitive level.
Some corps, like Aztechnology, are gonna keep everyone in tight. However,
I can see Ares and Lone Star letting people live wherever they like (at
least, while they're in the UCAS and CAS).
*****
Nexx Many-Scars
aka Mark Hall
*
Three hateful things in speech: stiffness, obscurity, a bad delivery.
*
http://members.aol.com/nexx3/index.html
-Last Update: 2-5-99