[Avodah] Labor and injustice (was Re: Slavery)

[Shoshana L. Boublil]

> Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:29:57 -0500
> From: dfinch847 at aol.com
> Subject: [Avodah] Slavery
> Message-ID: <8C91EAF8E57E654-E58-125C at FWM-R01.sysops.aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> Shmuel Weidberg writes:
>
> "The truth is, it is the same with slavery. Although the gemara
> determines that it is a zechus for a slave to be freed. The gemara
> does not consider it a slam dunk. The main reason why slavery was
> condemned so strongly is because slaves were so severely mistreated
> and had no rights whatsoever. But in a just society living by Torah
> rules slavery would be worse than being free, but would not be the
> great injustice that it is made out to be."

[del]

But slavery, well, slavery is morally
> and intellectually unthinkable, even for the O-est of the O. It can't
> even be debated, not with a straight face.
>
> David Finch

I would like to combine two threads here: the one about the conditions of 
workers in third world countries, and slavery.

There have been questions on the extent of our responsibility towards these 
workers; how should we view their economic situation etc.

This is a case where the laws of slavery can help us.  The Jewish laws give 
exact rules on how much a slave can work; what are his rights, his 
obligations.  What is he entitled to when he ends his slavery etc.

I have heard lectures in the past on how these rules can be used as 
guidelines for the minimum requirements related to factory  workers.  While 
it may seem strange to equate factory work with slavery, it is a fact tha 
many laborers have less rights and economic support than what is supposed to 
be given to a Jewish slave.

This includes the amount of work they are allowed to do daily, the 
conditions, the miminum living requirements they are supposed to get etc. 
This could assist in estimating salaries, as we would have some way to 
measure what is minimally decent and fair.

For example, in halacha a person who has 200 zuz is considered to have 
sufficient funds to survive a year.  He is therefore forbidden from enjoying 
Leket, Shichecha and Pe'ah. (*there are of course many other halachot and 
details connected to this determination)

In countries where life expenses are cheap, salaries can also be much 
cheaper, in comparison with other countries where the cost of living is much 
higher.

While the dollar is the same everywhere, it's buying power changes from 
place to place.  For example, while $2,000 a month is a very low wage in the 
States, in Israel, such a wage would be considered average, based on the 
buying power of $2,000 in Israel vs. the States.  In China, where the 
economic powers are totally different, the value of a salary could now be 
estimated by it's buying power, and by comparing to the laws of slavery, we 
would have a measure of whether or  not this wage is minimally fair.

Are there any economists who want to do the research?

Shoshana L. Boublil