vader1

From a Time story on GM's success in China.....

GM back home may be saddled with gas-guzzling car models nobody wants while it loses customers to rivals, but in China, the company is neck and neck with Volkswagen for the market-share lead, 10 years after the first GM cars started rolling off Chinese assembly lines. In April, GM set a record for monthly sales: 151,084 vehicles, a stunning 50% increase over its April 2008 results. GM remains "solidly profitable" in the country, Reilly says (GM does not disclose China revenue and profit figures). While GM plans to slash its U.S. workforce by 38%

hammerhead300

We should've taken the Powers That Be at the UAW out back and shot them long ago.

wills2k106

I could be wrong, but isn't GM profitable everywhere but North America?

brushman

Another "man" keeping the "worker" down at the expense of keeping it's doors open.

vader1

As for the work rules part, I agree that we should have some work rules that protect worker safety but I wonder what they mean by "work rules".


I know that the Union owns the legislature in the state of Michigan, and every labor law on the books was written by the union.

Wildncrazy

That is also why Michigan has died. New industry won't come into the state and all the old industry has been strangled or left.

What Unions and other liberal types forget is that someone has to pay the bills. You don't get nuthin' for free.

How can you possibly be against a huge wage for the worker/healthcare for all children/welfare for the weak and the infirm/add your own private rant here? On the surface you're unAmerican or a sorry individual if you don't agree that those are great sentiments, it's just that the implementation is lacking the bottomless pocket sugar daddy to fund them. I'll be so glad when common sense makes a comeback.

vader1

I was watching a GM related story on the national news and one thing they said which absolutely astounded me (if I remember the number correctly) was that the population of the Detroit area has decreased by about 800,000 people in the last ten years or so. Thats just crazy and a must be an enormous number of empty buildings.

ace123

Yeah, that makes me curious as well.

I wonder how they've chosen to go at it in an unregulated country. I'd understand low wages--a low cost and standard of living makes that sensible--but I hope they haven't chosen to cut all the corners, esp. with safety-type issues, to cut costs and gain market share over VW.

I expect they can get away with nearly whatever they choose to do since China needs industry, and OSHA and others won't be looking over their shoulders.

Jimmies

I'd venture to guess that is true for just about every other American job. Careful what you wish for....

I'm not exactly sure I'd hold China up as a good example of industry and working conditions. They're not really a beacon of light for individual rights.

(the above brought to you by a strong anti-union guy)

TheDonEffect

I agree with you, I too am an anti union guy.

Thing is though, in an emerging market like China, unions do actually have a place just like they did during our industrial revolution. People then were largely unemployed, starving, and desperate for money, ripe for factory owners to take advantage. Problem is that you need to get everyone to play by the same rules, otherwise the cost benefit of things like safe working conditions will be greatly skewed particularly in our market where a handful of players tend to dominate their respective industries.