Salary increases in economic recession

The current economic situation has brought uncertainty about the future, to individuals and mostly, the working class. With the majority of workers demanding salary increases despite the economic condition that is prevailing at the present moment, it demands that everybody should give a careful thought to the matter before expressing opinion about the wage increases that are demanded by workers.
Salary negotiations have been going on for quite some time, and seemingly, there is no consensus about the increase rate. Taking into account the inflation rate, anybody who is asking for a wage increase is quite correct, under normal and usual conditions. But I think the current economic situation needs somebody to consider making sacrifices. There is a saying that reads: “Half a loaf is better than no bread”. To workers it looks like this saying applies the other way round: “No bread is better than half a loaf.”
Businesses, who are employers, are closing down completely or some of their operations. Those who have not closed are battling for their survival. As a means of trying to survive some businesses have revised their strategies, resulting in retrenchment of workers, which in turn resulted in increased unemployment rate. Managers are now more concerned with cost cutting. The most expensive production factor is reported to be labour. Therefore, it makes sense for anyone who is trying to minimise costs to consider reducing labour costs. Reducing raw material costs would not help if labour is still the same because these work together. You need labour to turn the raw materials into products. Therefore a reduction in one calls for a reduction in the other.
One of the ways of saving in the labour costs is reducing labour rate, something that workers are not prepared to accept. The question that I ask myself and unfortunately, cannot answer is: Why do worker chose to increase their chances of being retrenched rather than accepting lower salaries? I believe that if workers force businesses (employers) to increase the wage rate beyond affordability, which will result in losses, inadequate cash flow and ultimately, liquidation.
Consumer spending has declined. At the same time the cost of living is becoming higher by day. Food and fuel prices are increasing, putting more strain to households’ disposable incomes. Grocery lists are becoming shorter and shorter. According to my view the present economic recession requires everyone to adopt a sense of compromise, put aside personal ambitions and deal with the reality of a declining economy. As a worker, I’d rather stay at the same salary level until the storm is over.