Slavery in Britain today

Galen I know hospital doctors work long hours and it may be because there are insufficient doctors /funds to reduce hours..but as a patient I would prefer someone not exhausted and harassed treating me!

Of course, this sort of modern day slavery should be outlawed and, if TM actually follows this through that can only be welcomed. I'll only be really impressed, though, when I see whether anything is actually done. It's an issue that can be quickly forgotten about by the general public. It has, however, enabled an increasingly unpopular government to appear "caring" and proactive.

Meanwhile, there is an onward march towards employees being forced to accept zero hours contracts on minimum wages if they wish to work at all.

It's very sad that the young man felt it necessary to (and was allowed to) work ridiculous hours in order to prove himself. However, as others have said, this was a choice he made in order to try and secure a highly paid permanent position.

It's not so bad these days! And they get paid for the extra hours! We didn't!

I find it worrying that young (or newly qualified) doctors are allowed to work when they are exhausted. Surely that is a sure way to make certain that mistakes will be made

Remembering my preregistration house job days! I think we worked over 72 hours a week! Sometimes more!

One intern died after working 72 hours without sleep. It is sad that a young man's life should come to such a premature end. There is, of course, no proof that working that length of time without sleep was the cause of his death and as one who has done so on and off for many years, I assume that he must have had some condition that contributed to his sudden death. Internship is still nothing like slavery, not least because the interns collude in a culture of greed; slaves don't.

I agree.

Well I suppose the benefit pot would be diverted! But I agree it is fanciful but logical!

Many people in work do work excessive hours and this is supposed to show how committed they are..it does of course.. but it is the other end of the spectrum to the 'family breakdown' & 'difficulty with child care ' etc!

If 40 hours maximum pw was considered what every 'good' f/t worker was expected to work I am sure life all round would be better!

If it were done on a large enough scale, I mean.

Possibly, but that job would have to be financed somehow, which would counterbalance the improvement in unemployment figures.

I can't help but think we could improve the unemployment figures if people worked 'standard' hours only .
I know when I worked f/t I always brought work home and spent evenings working. I was not inefficient there was just more work to do than I could fit into my 7:15-6:15 day at work.

If I had just worked 9-5 could I have created another job?

No need to bite my head off Petallus! I said * less* sympathy than for servants who are physically FORCED (physically abused or tortured,) to work as slaves. Of course I am sad about the avoidable death of any person. FlicketyB said interns were being worked to death in banks. I do not accept that this is standard practivce in banks. Without knowing the precise details of this case, my point is that it seems as if this young man chose to work himself into the ground - and if he was in all other respects a normal healthy young man, were there perhaps other factors in his unfortunate death? We all know about stimulants currently in widespread use among undergraduates to enable them to work through the night when the pressure is on. I repeat that ambition for telephone number salaries may drive some people to damage their own health. We expect our junior hospital doctors to save lives on a regime which is not much better.

The idea that injustices can be 'hushed up' is disgraceful and not worthy of a civilised society.

Yes they can AKA, it"s a bummer !!

If it is serious I think the diplomats talk to each other and either hush it up or the diplomat who has transgressed will quietly return home.

So some people can get away with murder, libel, and other general antisocial behaviour?

Hence the millions of pounds of unpaid parking tickets etc which diplomats in london choose not to pay.

Anybody with Diplomatic immunity is subject to the laws of their own country.

I think that the Lord /serf relationship which still exists in Saudi is awful as is the trade in poor men and women brought to Western Europe under false pretences only to find themselves 'bonded' to gang masters.

I believe Prince Charles also gets on well with the House of Saud.

Re the unfortunate death of the young man who felt he had to work 24/7 to prove his worth:I of course am sorry any young person dies unnecessarily and in avoidable circumstances but he did have the freedom to say he was unwell or that he had to leave without the fear that he or family members would have been beaten/abused.

How can anyone be 'above the law's?

I believe Saudis who have diplomatic immunity are above the law in Britain. A vile regime, much loved by Blair.

Also gracesmum just because there are worse cases, can't we feel sorry for this young man as well or is there only a certain amount of compassion to go round?

And I mentioned the case because absent doubted that people were being worked to death in Banks.

And there was me feeling sorry for him

I think that was the case referred to. I have less sympathy for this than for young women beaten, starved, abused, raped, worked 24/7 for their keep - often in a cellar or attic. The overworking culture among those who aspire to stratospheric earnings is clearly a bad thing, but no one forces them into that line of work. There is almost even an arrogance in the "first at your desk, last away from it " culture reminiscent of the Yuppies of the 80's. Even with graduate employment as hard to get as it is, this poor young man must have known what he was letting himself in for with Deutsche Bank. I wonder how it compares with junior hospital doctors who work similar hours with no option to do otherwise?