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The ScoMo Government

Annual leave is a fixed cost and workers entitlement, sickies aren't.
Putting things another way and not having a go at anyone, workers always want more and companies always want more, even if workers are given huge pay rises and improved conditions, it isn't long before their life adjusts to the new norm and they want more.
It can be seen on here and it was where I worked, when I started in my last job in 1990 it was $50k p/a when I stopped in 2010 it was $200k and the conditions were heaps better, but the workers were still complaining.
You don't have to look further than this thread to see that money and conditions, doesn't make someone happy with their lot, even if they are on mega bucks.
It is a difficult situation to resolve, like I said Hawke achieved it because he had Kelty and the ACTU in his his pocket and they agreed to basically a wage freeze.
It did fix the unemployment and kick start the economy, but there was an actual loss of 18% in real wages, also tarrifs were dropped and the demise of our manufacturing started, the Button plan was the first nail in the car industries coffin.
https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/holdens-demise-started-with-the-hawke-government-20131212-2za8a.html
Scomo's speech...

“Our industrial relations system has settled into a complacency of unions seeking marginal benefits and employers closing down risks, often by simply not employing anyone,” he said.

I think we've gone way past the era of huge payrises / wage explosions / inflation etc.
This era is very different to the accord era and it has different objectives. Haven't seen much in the way of huge payrise claims since the GFC to be honest.

If anything, I reckon a lot of employees would be just happy to start getting paid what they are really owed instead of being underpaid which has been a massive problem of late.

Anyway it'll be interesting who gives ground... the Govt ordered the ABC to freeze staff wages whilst refusing to do the same for MPs so I think that's a fair marker as to where the Govt wants this to go :)

Agree about the Button plan.
 
You looking for work
Hey I'm a dud worker now.
If I worked for someone else they would end up committing suicide.

Why?
Did you need an offsider to hold your ice cream in the mines?
Or someone to chat to while we both stand around for hours waiting on a part...
 
One thing I know that happened under COVID was all the DUD workers got the sack. I would think making it easier to fire employees would be on the list as most small companies won't excessively hire.

Having owned quite a few small businesses under various rules and working for wages before that I have experienced both sides of the coin.

I feel that the best system was being able to fire someone with one weeks notice but only after two written warnings.

I know people who went broke because a toxic employee created so much havoc knowing that it was hard to sack him without great expense.

I know of a business right now that has a similar problem, having to pay 6 months stress leave because an employee was chastised when she repeatedly refused to follow company protocol.

None of the other staff want her back because they have to fix up her trail of havoc but she knows all the tricks to make it hard to sack her, 20 years ago it would have been here is a weeks pay and goodbye !

I realise that large employers are a different case and I do think a Union is the best way to go, or at least an association of employees to represent the workers.

I disagree strongly when an 18 year old is expected to negotiate with management for conditions, JH stuffed badly in the way Work Choices was introduced. Everyone with a TFN should have received a booklet on how WC was meant to function

It is always going to be impossible to please everyone but hopefully an agreement can be reached at the meeting
 
I can’t wait to retire so I can tell the workforce what their doing wrong as I sit with my slippers on trying not to nod off

Sounds like a complete waste of time to me, retirement is to do the things that you have not had time to do when working.

If you are really lucky and you survive until then, you still need to be healthy enough to be able to get around.

I know quite a few people who died well before getting the opportunity.

Of course, on top of that you need to be able to afford to do those things, luckily here in OZ we get paid very well compared with other countries so most frugal people do have a nest egg to retire on.

However, I do agree that CEOs salaries are completely out of control, bordering on obscene in fact. I do not know how to fix it but it needs to be done.
 
Having owned quite a few small businesses under various rules and working for wages before that I have experienced both sides of the coin.

My observation from the other side, having always worked for government or large business, isn't overly dissimilar.

The attitude and underlying ability of an individual is an order of magnitude more important when hiring than their knowledge and skills. Skills can be learned by anyone keen and with reasonable intelligence but changing someone's attitude is akin to pushing a cart load of bricks up a steep hill. It's a hell of a task doomed to fail miserably and probably kill you in the process.

That goes for all levels from the bottom to the top. Ideally you want both but if it's one or the other then attitude beats skill.

Attitude as in enthusiasm, integrity and self awareness mostly. Those who are pragmatic about the situation and themselves, are keen to make a go of it and who will engage meaningfully.

Those who follow orders without question are almost as bad as those who rock the boat for the sake of it, neither are really much help and I'd rather someone who questions what we're doing and puts forward their well thought out ideas on how it could be done better than someone who says "yes boss" and keeps their mouth shut. That said, last thing you want on any team is someone who is all take and no give and who isn't realistic about what the company can and can't control.

Don't get me started on those who take the "not my job!" view of the world and especially those who won't do something they deem beneath them and who won't give something a go on a one-off basis just because it's above their pay grade. :banghead: More often than not, the troublemakers have that exact attitude.

That said, overall company culture is heavily influenced by those at the top. If there's a few random employees who are trouble well then the problem is most likely those employees. If everyone's whinging and there's ongoing drama then that points heavily toward dud managers. :2twocents
 
I agree about managers, CEOs are worth big money compared with the average tradie but the thing that puzzles me is the obscene rate of increase when we compare wages of both today and 20 years ago.

CEOs are paid multiples of what they used to be, far too much, particularly when they get paid and Company has had a bad period.

Stupid stuff, if sales people fail then they do not get a bonus, why do CEOs ?
 
Another problem with high pay for CEO's is it attracts people who are purely seeking personal gain and who couldn't give a stuff about the long term future of the company, it's employees, shareholders or anyone else. :2twocents
 
Hey I'm a dud worker now.
If I worked for someone else they would end up committing suicide.

Why?
Did you need an offsider to hold your ice cream in the mines?
Or someone to chat to while we both stand around for hours waiting on a part...
No ice cream due to covid and the removal of self serve utensils
We sit in the ute.....too hot mate
 
The Federal Government will repay $700 million in Robodebt.

Surely the Minister Stuart Robert has to fall on his sword or be sacked over this, it's appalling.
 
The Federal Government will repay $700 million in Robodebt.

Surely the Minister Stuart Robert has to fall on his sword or be sacked over this, it's appalling.
Meh
700 million to these economic geniuses is a drop in the ocean with their accounting skills
 
The Federal Government will repay $700 million in Robodebt.

Surely the Minister Stuart Robert has to fall on his sword or be sacked over this, it's appalling.

A complete idiot would know that if you use different criteria to measure income then you will almost certainly get a different result.

It should never have been used because it was obviously wrong, it was a very poor performance by the PS boffin that introduced it.

The minister did not introduce it But it was pointed out to him by his fellow members, the press and various social media outlets that it was faulty.

It should have been suspended by him a year ago pending an investigation, it wasn't, consequently he becomes liable for the continued pursuit of honest Ozzies.

Not good enough !
 
Robo Debt was always a lie masquerading as "government policy" to extract billions from welfare recipients via Letters of Demand based on clearly erroneous information.

The legal facts are so obvious the Government has had to capitulate (on a Friday afternoon no less..). Whether the class action lawyers allow them to get away with a bare bones repayment is debatable.

One overwhelming point should be remembered. The injustice and insanity of Robo debt was clear for years yet the Government still insisted on continuing the process. It was only the reality of a class suit on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of affected people that caused the final capitulation.

Well done Peter Gordon...


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-30/robodebt-stuart-robert-scott-morrison/12303322
https://gordonlegal.com.au/news/gordon-legal-to-fight-illegal-robodebt-clawback/
https://gordonlegal.com.au/media/1225/200313-amended-statement-of-claim-sealed.pdf
 
It's only a matter of time, before most if not all data collection ends up as a computerized data processing function, the tide will continue to roll in whether we like it or not.
Also it won't matter who is in office.
 
The government will unveil grants for new homebuyers, which will reportedly be on offer for everybody – not just first-timers.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/rea...r/news-story/fca8a0d81dbef389399e1bbdb35b74b6

I think there's merit to this - although in the case of first home buyers I would allow a portion of super can be set aside for the first few years to assist repayments instead of using it a deposit.
 
A complete idiot would know that if you use different criteria to measure income then you will almost certainly get a different result.

It should never have been used because it was obviously wrong, it was a very poor performance by the PS boffin that introduced it.

The minister did not introduce it But it was pointed out to him by his fellow members, the press and various social media outlets that it was faulty.

It should have been suspended by him a year ago pending an investigation, it wasn't, consequently he becomes liable for the continued pursuit of honest Ozzies.

Not good enough !
Who was the social service minister when it was introduced?
 
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