On Assignment UBI
“I got to go to work,
work work work….” The morning commute
in Helsinki. For thousands of
workers, this is the daily route to a decent wage. But for eighteen
months, some have been on a different journey. Now arriving at the
end of an experiment, where they haven’t had to work for a living. They’ve been paid
regardless. These Nordic shores are
famous for radical ideas which often flow from here to be exported around the
world. But free money for
everyone? No questions asked? I wanna see whether they’ve convinced people of
the concept, or the cost. An hour’s flight from
the capital, in the Finnish countryside – lives one of those testing this
unconventional concept. "Hey Juha" "Hello" "This is your
workshop?" "Yeah, come
come" Juha and his children
are not your typical family. "I wanted to make something that
was a paradise for kids." Until recently – Juha
was bringing up his six children on the dole.
But in January last
year he joined a two-year trial of a new benefit – called universal basic
income. Which doesn’t require
him to look for work at all. 00:49:29:18Juha: It's 560 euros per month, the basic income is very free money. It's coming the beginning
of the month, and I don't need to do any paperwork or fill up forms, or go to
employment office... 00:50:08:17Juha:
I feel that also I get so much more time, I can focus for what I feel
important. And yeah it's super for me. He still gets to keep
the benefit, even if he starts making money. Juha’s been making
plenty. Security is rare for
an artist – and the guaranteed income’s helped him to build a business
selling his drums. 02:10:16:04Paul: Can I have a
look at this one? So this is the finished drum right? 02:10:59:04Paul: On average, how many do you
think you would sell a month? 02:11:01:21Drum man: A couple, a
month. 02:11:04:02Paul: And how much does that
give you an income? 02:11:06:08Drum man: It's about 1000
euros. 02:11:08:04Paul: And that's on top of your
Universal Basic Income? 02:11:10:14Drum man: Yeah, yeah.
02:14:38:04Paul: So when this experiment comes to an end, do you think you
will no longer need unemployment benefit?** 02:14:44:10Drum man: Ah no. I very much
trust that I have the work now for the rest of my life. If Juha has crafted
himself a career – he’s exactly the kind of success story this trial is
looking for. Finland didn’t come
up with the concept of a basic income – paid regardless of whether you’re a
billionaire, barista or busker - it’s been around for centuries. But now it’s
being seriously tested – not just here, but in Canada, the Netherlands and
soon, even in Scotland. The ultimate vision is
that universal basic income would be paid to everyone, to release us all from
the burden of depressing or demeaning work to do what we really want to do,
even if that’s volunteering or caring for our families. But what we’re
looking at here with the Finnish government is a far more limited approach.
They’ve only been paying it to 2000 unemployed people to test whether they’ll
do more work or less. A guaranteed income,
still gets Rosa in for 6 every morning. Up early to open the
café, where she’s started working. Because she gets to
keep her benefits, she can be part time. Allowing her to arrange everything
here – around her children. OA UBI 101 11:32:29:10Rosa:
Yeah it has helped me a lot with like
combining work and family time, and cut down the work hours, so that I have
time to pick up the kids from day-care. 11:32:47:18Paul: I suppose some people might ask,
if you've got this guaranteed income, does that make you lazy? Does it make
you less inclined to work?** 11:32:57:05Rosa: No, I'm still here. No, I wouldn't
say so. I think it would rather inspire you take a part-time job if you have
not been able to earlier. ** Rosa’s part of a growing trend towards part-time work, with
governments viewing basic income as a way to provide certainty in an age of
zero-hours contracts and stagnant wages.
But once the experiment’s over – Rosa will have to think about going
full-time. 11:34:57:03Paul: The trial comes to an end soon. Do
you want to go back to that stressful life? 11:35:16:16 Rosa: No of course, I'm happy now, I'm
able to handle everything quite OK But basic income
isn’t just about finding the right work. It’s about what
happens if there’s no longer much of it around. UPSOT "So it actually
knows what is wood and what is metal...' COMM Timo Taalas’s robots
are separating rubbish previously sifted by humans. Soon artificial
intelligence could sort us all into those who are still useful – and those
whose jobs can be discarded.
12:37:10:01T: There are some nursing robots
available, there are robots to do heavy lifting, sorting, transportation
within a plant. 12:53:15:06 P:
There is this statistic that is out there that a third of jobs could actually
be replaced by robots and artificial intelligence in 20 years time. What do
you make of that? 12:53:23:23 T:
I think that's a bit pessimistic figure. There are certain parts that will go
away because the robots or other machines do them. But then there are lots of
work created. But governments are
going to have to find a way to help those of us who do end up on the scrap
heap – to live or to retrain. 12:38:54:14T: there will be people transitioning from one
role into another, but you need to re-educate yourself while you do it. And
the Basic Income helps in situations like that. But not everyone in
Helsinki’s toasting its potential. "HI HAVE YOU GOT
A FINNISH BEER?" The unions worry that
basic income breaks the link between labour and wages. After a week of work
– Finns at this drinking festival like the idea of extra beer money. But they
wonder how it’ll work. Person 1:
Considering how work is changing so you have more freelance jobs, you have
more entrepreneurs so the government wants to help more entrepreneurs even so
I think its very good for those Person 2:
Just to get security to pay your rent you know I think that would be a big
one. Person 3:
Nobody wants to pay poor people to do nothing I beleive
something like that has to happen at some point. Te future is going to a
place where there won't be jobs for everyone anymore. Woman: it's going to be really expensive so
probably it won't work. But It sounds nice… That’s until you look
at your tax bill. To pay for basic income, they’d have to deduct much more
from whatever you earn on top. Olli Kangas set up
the trial here in Finland and reckons rolling it out to everyone would cost
60 billion euros – even if it might cut bureaucracy. Paul: How
much are we talking in terms of tax? Olli:
There would be something like 10% more in taxes. Paul:
Nobody’s going to vote for that though are they? Olli: Yeah
it would be difficult. It would be difficult In
fact, the government has had to deny reports the experiment will be dropped completely.
And expanding it to everyone seems unlikely. 13:40:29:24P: What do you think the appetite is among politicians
continuing with this experiment or to roll it out nationally, or to expand
it. 13:40:37:09O: I have said that politicians are like
small boys when they get the small red fire car they are playing for a while
but then they get the new football and then they forget the fire car and then
they are playing with the football. I have little bit that kind've feeling 13:42:01:04P: So this experiment may just remain that - an experiment?
Nothing more? 13:42:06:06O: Nothing more. But the world will be
waiting for the results of Finland’s trial – published next year. When many already complain
that work no longer pays… Basic income provides
the certainty, that employment once did. And while handouts
for everyone – mean more tax for some. We may soon look back
on Finland’s experiment, as the way forward for us all. |
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