At a time when growing economic inequality has become a hot debate in economic and social circles, the 90-hour workweek remark of Indian multinational Larsen & Toubro chairman SN Subrahmanyan brought to fore the discussion not just about the work-life balance in the age of neoliberalism but also the dark side of the corporate world. 

In a video addressing the company's employees, he stated, "How long can you stare at your wife? I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays. What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working". In addition, he also asked the employees to work for 90 hours a week.(https://www.livemint.com/companies/people/lts-hr-head-breaks-silence-on-chairman-sn-subrahmanyans-90-hour-work-week-remark-a-leader-who-genuinely-cares-11736789669010.html)

His statement - that has since got clarification from the company that it was casual in nature - not only reflects the perception of the business class towards human relations but also serves as a testimony of falling standards in India’s corporate world. It is important to remember that the statement cannot be seen as an exclusive one. Earlier, NR Narayana Murthy, a renowned business tycoon and one of the co-founders of tech giant  Infosys, also made similar remarks with regard to working hours and advocated  a 70-hour workweek. 

As a whole, it is also wise to understand that the growing number of calls by the business elite for increased working hours and diktats to spend more time at the workplace as the overall perception of the corporate class towards the workforce rather than as individual and isolated statements. On top of it, the tendency to exploit the workforce and the phenomenon of income disparity are not just confined to India alone but also across the world, especially South Asia. Exploitation of the workforce and profit maximization at the cost of human and environmental costs have always been fundamental areas of discussion in economics ever since the advent of the capitalist world.

No free and fair play

In a neoliberal state, it is difficult to control the influence of the business class in the state’s policy making mechanism. It is this ability of the corporate class to influence decision-making that gives it a free token to tweak the economic structure and policies into its favour. Contrary to popular perception, in a neoliberal atmosphere, the state or political authority acts as a facilitator for the businesses rather than as an organ that controls and regulates the private players or corporate bigwigs. In such an environment, free and fair economic activity that capitalism guarantees is a myth. It is this free hand of the corporate class in terms of influencing the state’s decisions that is widening the income disparities. 

In an environment filled with economic uncertainty and narrowing profit margins due to weak demand in the post-covid era it is a no-brainer to understand the rationale behind the statements in favour of increased working hours. Since wages are the only area that corporate honchos can bank on to fill their profit basket either by offering low wages or not paying commensurate with working hours, with other variables of production more or less remaining static where cost-cutting is difficult, it is understandable why business leaders are in favour of long working hours. 

Increased workload complemented by rugged individualism are not only taking the toll on the mental health of the working class but also leading to intense discontent in their private lives. While it is naive to expect a strong welfare system for the working class population in an intense and competitive business environment, what really bothers the proponents of social equity is that the physical and mental health of the working class have been hardly given thought to both by the state as well as the business class. 

Human relationships 

It can be seen how pernicious effects of capitalism have entered into the personal lives of the working class population. Increased workload, peer pressure, credit-laden life and fear of falling behind in the rat race of wealth accumulation are pulling away peace and happiness from the lives of the workforce. Constraints on spending time with family members, unavailability of spouses to understand each other and be aware of each other's needs and diverging interests, and contesting priorities because of workplace pressures have been creating rifts in the relationships. Love, mutual respect and affection are being replaced with misunderstandings, competition and hatred. Unknowingly, the prevailing economic discourse has been breeding ego, grudge and jealousy among the individuals. It is worth mentioning here that neoliberal economics has been uprooting the very foundations of the family system and the relationships intertwined in it. As every relationship is equated in terms of financial value, thanks to the prevailing economic narrative, the values and ideals that bound individuals together in families and the society as a whole back in the day have gone to the dogs.

Emphasis on competition 

Quality and decent life, improved living standards and dignity of labour are what the neoliberal economic discourse guarantees to its workforce. In reality, they are replaced with stressful life, falling standards in terms of physical and mental health and second-class treatment of the workforce. Crude emphasis on competition rather than coordination and collective spirit derailed the very purpose of life i.e., peace, happiness and compassion. At this critical juncture, it is vital to understand the flaws in the current discourse centred around ‘competition’, which forms the bedrock of neoliberal economics. 

An ideal economic system imposes higher taxes on the rich class and redistributes the benefits to the marginalized and working class population in order to reduce the income disparities. Ironically, modern-day economies are doing the other way round. They have been imposing multiple taxes on the working class population in one form or the other to benefit the corporate class by providing incentives and tax cuts under the labels of ‘ease of doing business’ and ‘business-friendly initiatives’. At a time when the modern state itself is withdrawing from the most critical sectors of the government like education and health, it is hard to expect the private sector or corporate class to extend welfare measures to its employees.

It is important to understand that the greed of capitalists poses a substantial threat to the capitalist system more than anything else. There is no bigger enemy for the capitalist system other than the deliberate avoidance of the capitalists in addressing the much-needed corrective measures in areas that serve as its footing. A healthy workforce, both physically and mentally, constitutes the heart of a neoliberal empire. Not only productivity but also the sustenance and survival of the neoliberal economy depends on the quality and wellbeing of a skilled workforce. It is not rocket science that an overburdened and overstressed workforce prove counterproductive in the long run, affecting the overall health of an industry or organisation. 

AI and automation

It is axiomatic to understand that the recent technological advancements such as AI and automation can be used as bargaining chips and threatening tools in the hands of the corporate leadership to persuade the working class to act according to its whims and fancies. It is this asymmetry and imbalance between the capitalists and working class population that highlights the importance and relevance of strong, yet flexible, trade unions. As most of the private companies lack labour unions, it gets extremely difficult on the part of the workers to channelise their concerns and demands before their respective management. This calls for urgent action from workers, especially who are in private firms, to form pressure groups that would vocalise their interests. It is also wise on the part of the corporate/business class to accommodate the interests of the working class in the best interest of an organisation and the capitalist system as a whole. 

(The writer is a columnist on contemporary issues and international affairs. Views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at vamshikrishnaalphahunsa@gmail.com)