At the heart of corporate power is a breed of CEOs who embody the very essence of exploitation and audacity. These big-shots, dressed in expensive suits and driving luxury cars, have a set of beliefs that could send shockwaves through the ethical foundations of business. They argue that in order to make workers put their heads down and follow every rule that they make, they need to set them straight through insensitive means – either by withholding their salaries or by firing some and setting it as an example for the rest.
One of such people is one of the richest people in Australia – Tim Gurner, who is the founder and CEO of the Gurner Group, a multi-millionaire property developer. He believes that ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, people do not want to work as much and continue making a decent salary and to set them straight, there needs to be unemployment and a “pain” in the economy.
At the Financial Review Property Summit, he said:
“People decided they didn’t really want to work so much anymore through COVID. They have been paid a lot to do not too much in the last few years, and we need to see that change. We need to see unemployment rise. Unemployment has to jump 40-50% in my view. We need to see pain in the economy. We need to remind people that they work for the employer, not the other way around. There’s been a systematic change where employees feel that employers are extremely lucky to have them as opposed to the other way round.”
Have a look at the video here:
Gurner Group founder Tim Gurner tells the Financial Review Property Summit workers have become "arrogant" since COVID and "We've got to kill that attitude." https://t.co/lcX3CCxGuj pic.twitter.com/f9HK2YZRRE
— Financial Review (@FinancialReview) September 12, 2023
This audacious claim of his, which is being delivered with an air of entitlement, hints at a very troubling conviction – that employees solely exist to fulfil the wishes of their corporate masters. Their personal lives and mental well-being be damned.
These kinds of beliefs stand in stark contrast against the principles of fairness, empathy and social responsibility, raising questions about the moral compass of those ruling the corporate world.
His claims were met with immense criticism online. Here’s what some people had to say:
This is sick and sickening. Such a reflection of the moral crisis that the love of money and power causes. https://t.co/oFURrw135c
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) September 13, 2023
A good leader ensures that he does not have to coerce those who are engaged in joined endeavors.
This fellow is stupid, fear teaches none and creates resentment which can lead to civil unrest.
I am am stunned that such stupid gets into the Financial Review.#Parasites#Neocons https://t.co/oTkQaHsiPW— Revd Andrew Klein ( Chaplain) (@KleinRevd) September 13, 2023
Capitalists are THE enemies of the masses because they view us and use us as cattle. You should know that by now. But if you don't, here is a rare moment where one speaks honestly. And dont be mistaken… this is how they ALL think. https://t.co/hLT7ENqAfR
— Hampton Institute (@HamptonThink) September 12, 2023
The problem is – the rich don't fear the working class. We should change that. Starting with this prick right here. https://t.co/XbZpmv3rZk
— Empire Of Lies (@berningman16) September 12, 2023
Listen to the way this hundred-millionaire prick talks about the working class and tell me we don't need a revolution. https://t.co/aHtB5RwARw
— Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) September 12, 2023
I’ve been thinking further about this. Tim said out loud what has been written in almost every economics textbook for the last 30~ years.
The general public are rightfully outraged at his statements.
Maybe our economic system is at complete odds with human decency 👀 https://t.co/4oZZgmA7Qo
— Stephen Bates (@stephenbatesmp) September 15, 2023
My contribution to this discourse is that the dude comes across like such an unimaginative loser who almost certainly acquired power through privilege and grift. This should further dispel the myth of meritocracy and emphasize the need for much more democratization of the economy https://t.co/kEVQz1Avy9
— Andrés Bernal (@andresintheory) September 13, 2023
When workers have come to know their value — as so many did throughout the pandemic — they are far more likely to get up and fight back after being knocked down by their employers. And that’s a good thing. https://t.co/0ZBAYUzXsf
— Larry Savage (@Prof_Savage) September 12, 2023
I think we need to remind this pos that he’s nothing without the peasants. https://t.co/AHIkTfr2bN
— 💧Sociable Socialist aka Stephen ✊🏿😷💉💉💉💉💉 (@Neopseudo) September 12, 2023
This is precisely how feudal landowners responded to labour shortages after the plague in the 1300s. They tried force, pain, even executions. They failed. Serfdom ended, wages rose and guilds (pre- unions) began. Like this bloke, they were on the wrong side of history. https://t.co/Nmfu0j0qQb
— Jane Caro (@JaneCaro) September 12, 2023
What a decline of humanity!