Posted on 05/29/2015 6:55:36 AM PDT by Rusty0604
Dongguan-based private company Everwin Precision Technology Ltd is pushing toward putting 1,000 robots in use in its first phase of the zero-labor project, China National Radio reported. It said the company has already put first 100 robots on the assembly line.
"The 'zero-labor factory' does not mean we will not employ any humans, but what it means is that we will scale down the size of workers by up to 90 percent," said Chen Qixing, the company's board chairman.
After the work on smart factory started, Chen predicted that instead of 2,000 workers, the current strength of the workforce, the company will require only 200 to operate software system and backstage management.
"It is necessary to replace human workers with robots, given the severe labor shortage and mounting labor costs," said Di Suoling, head of Dongguan-based Taiwan Business Association.
Shortage of Labor?
There is no shortage of labor. There is no shortage of skills either. Rather, there is a shortage of people willing to work for what factory owners are willing to pay.
And with cheap money everywhere you look, there is plenty of money at low rates to buy robots.
Meanwhile, back in the US, McDonald's employees think they are worth $15 an hour for taking orders and handing people a sack of crap.
High wages means fewer jobs. CNN accurately reports Robots will Replace Fast-Food Workers.
Panera Bread is the latest chain to introduce automated service, announcing in April that it plans to bring self-service ordering kiosks as well as a mobile ordering option to all its locations within the next three years. The news follows moves from Chili's and Applebee's to place tablets on their tables, allowing diners to order and pay without interacting with human wait staff at all.
(Excerpt) Read more at globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com ...
“the cost and barriers to hire labor is actually very high.”
Indeed. Wages are just a part of the cost. All the other benefits including health insurance and taxes, volumes of regulations, and insurance against frivolous lawsuits are just a few barriers to hire labor here.
“how many Americans want to work making sneakers or stitching garments?”
Exactly. Most people who bemoan the loss of jobs in textile or garment factories never worked in one.
Let’s say Chilis and Applebees are forced to pay $15/hr to the restaurant help, what about the people who actually made that pre-made, pre-cooked and quick frozen food at a plant far away that are making less than that?
We have a food processing factory in our small town that makes the entrees and soups and other things for chain restaurants all over the midwest. I don’t think anybody there makes more than about $12/hr
Three letters: EPA.
Three more letters: OSHA
Then there's also taxes. US tax law imposes taxes on the value of unsold inventory. if the factory, and warehouse, are overseas in a tax-friendly locale, then you can ship stuff over as it is being sold, and avoid inventory tax.
other reasons exist.
Good point. The unions are behind the fast food workers because there are millions of them and that means many millions of union dues.
Actually, it was a device where we could pay the bill without having to interact with the waiter or cashier. We liked it a lot.
Doesn't take much to see that they are close to eliminating waiters..if they want to...just have runners to bring the food and drinks from the back..
Productivity is no longer linked to humans being present.
More Humans meant more production.
introduce better tools
Fewer humans equal same production
introduce automation
Even fewer humans means even more production
introduce robot automation
The link to humans and production is gradually eliminated.
we need an addition to the three laws of robotics.
“thou shalt not eat the couch potatoes”
Taxation, the cost of regulation compliance, liability insurance, start up costs, etc, etc are all much higher here.
labor laws and unions.
Unions are all about pensions.
control the pension, control the union.
LA Times: “Governor Moonbeam yesterday established the robot production study committee to analyze the productive output in human labor units to establish a tax based on generated sales”
There’s always some level of labor needs. Add in the EPA and other regulatory bodies and there’s lots of good reasons to build your factory anywhere not America.
They already have kiosks at Outback restaraunt and that weird gas station/sandwich shop called Wawa.
Exactly...a statists dream!
Is that for real or are you foreseeing the future?
Thanks, Obama- The Newly unemployed
for seeing the future
Looks like the era of free trade is coming to an end.
Robots cost the same just about anywhere, removing one of the last excuses for off-shoring manufacturing and production.
What’s the point? After the introduction of total automation, the biggest cost of importing goods from Red China is solely in shipping and transport—pure profit that is being funneled out of the country.
IMPORT TARIFFS NOW!
(I think that’s the whole issue, in a nutshell)
You are biased against American industry. It is a built hatred and you hate America. Disgusting.
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