>Is it just that the rate of exploitation is increasing
>or is it more to do with monopoly or what? Any ideas?
>
>I'm tempted to say the reason has to do with the lack
>of class conscious organization amongst the workers of
>the world.
I'd agree, with U.S. workers in the lead for both exploitation and lack of consciousness and organization. Between 2000 and 2004, productivity was up 3.9% a year, hourly compensation up 1.5% a year, and direct pay up just 0.6% a year. (The compensation measure in the productivity series includes fringe benefits, which have been driven way up by health insurance premiums.) So comp was up 38% as much as productivity, and direct pay, just 15%. Very nice for profits!
Doug