Among the most undignified and undesirable jobs, some are necessary — and some should not exist
In Refuse worker Beethoven, suicide and the parable of the talents, it is mentioned that there are jobs anyone can do, and these are precisely the ones no one wants to do.
It is important to point out, on the one hand, that some of these jobs are necessary for society and should be assigned (as already stated in the piece) to those who have nothing better to do.
On the other hand, it is also important to point out that among these especially undignified and undesirable jobs, there are some that shouldn’t be assigned to anyone, for the simple reason that they are not only unnecessary, but constitute a social and individual detriment and should not exist.
The number of this second type of especially undignified and undesirable job has been increasing in recent decades, both in the labour market and in the civil service, and will continue to grow if things continue as they are, which is almost certain.
A good example of these jobs or functions within jobs would be the service of collecting rubbish bags from the landings:
It is one of the most detrimental to the common good.
It is one of the most degrading for the employee.
It comes from one of the most ridiculous, detrimental and vain forms of pride on the part of the employer.
If you’re rich, you can afford personal staff to take your rubbish directly where it belongs. If not, you will have to take it yourself. But what is that abomination of leaving piles of rubbish on the landings, disfiguring them and stinking them up for hours?
Should you tell me that it is more a matter of laziness than pride or vanity (on the part of the employer) — I would urge you to think twice.
Should you tell me that if such a service did not exist, I’d be out of work — you would be right, and I would reaffirm the idea that this service should not exist.