Sayout Vol 03-No 02 Winter 2016.pdf

Organizations, including governments, often boast about saving money by not paying people, which seems cruel given the existing inequality and large number of people living on low incomes. Using unpaid volunteers can be an irresistible way for those in power to avoid paying wages, leading to job substitution. Statistics Canada notes a 4% decline in volunteers from 2010 to 2013, despite a growing population. Relying too heavily on unpaid volunteers may have detrimental impacts on society, and asking people to work for nothing can have negative consequences. Volunteering is not always a good thing and may impede or prevent necessary actions, as seen in the example of food banks, which can lead politicians to curb public expenses for food programs. In 2013, volunteers contributed almost two billion hours of unpaid work, equivalent to about $20-billion and one million full-time jobs. The pressures to volunteer are pervasive, and charitable groups often provide symptomatic relief but don't address underlying causes. Gold, once central to the economy, has apparently been dethroned, but countries like Russia, China, and Germany are building up their gold reserves, suggesting it still plays a subtle role in international monetary considerations. Canada has minimal gold reserves, but rebuilding its stockpile could provide a useful edge in turbulent economic times.