The state of the economy at the street level

[sptrawler]

Anyone who is concerned with their personal safety and that of their passengers would not buy a Great Wall. They have abysmal crash safety standards and are cheap but nasty.

Maybe that will change but I'll be steering well clear of them for some time.

It will be interesting if they have bought the tooling with the Thai plant, because then the Great Wall, will be a re badged Holden Colorado wont it.

 

[tinhat]

It's rather depressing and self-destructive when people hang their hopes on coal mining for a job (while we are selling our water and soil to foreign interests).

How Australian's think the rest of the world owe them a living is besides me. What gets me though is that the educated class have sold out their morals and the future of the less fortunate for a few bucks.

Not that the big accounting firms that have now replaced our public service in policy formulation would agree with that!

 

[qldfrog]

It's rather depressing and self-destructive when people hang their hopes on coal mining for a job (while we are selling our water and soil to foreign interests).

How Australian's think the rest of the world owe them a living is besides me. What gets me though is that the educated class have sold out their morals and the future of the less fortunate for a few bucks.

Not that the big accounting firms that have now replaced our public service in policy formulation would agree with that!

Coal or any mining activity as automatisation could see 12 to 50 people run a full scale mine, most located in a city office 1000kms away, first in Brisbane or Perth, 10y later in Saigon or Mumbai with a dozen max repair team on site
so much safer, and who would want to work in 45C ...the Big Miners will tell you

 

[moXJO]

Surprisingly enough, Thais are pretty good when it comes to manufacturing things to standard. Friend bought a second hand great wall and it's going pretty good. He treats it like dirt as well.

 

[sptrawler]

Friend bought a second hand great wall and it's going pretty good. He treats it like dirt as well.

In the 1960's everyone said the same about Jap crap, in the 1990's everyone said who the hell would buy a Hyundai piece of crap.
Life moves on, as people's spending power drops, the vehicle they can afford changes.
Then the company that makes the cheap car, makes more money and improves their car.
Great Wall dual cab ute, with leather, sat nav etc $30k, Ford Ranger with leather sat nav $60k, it wont take long.
How long ago was it that tradesmen would only buy Sidchrome?

 

[Humid]

Probably worth posting this article here, as well as the Holden thread, as it highlights what a few of us are saying about the difficulty maintaining Australia's current living standards.
https://www.drive.com.au/news/how-h...-wall-in-australia-123267.html?trackLink=SMH3
From the article:
Thailand – dubbed the Detroit of south-east Asia – will be a manufacturing hub from which it can drive that growth.

It will also see Great Wall building cars in the same place Toyota, Isuzu, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, and Ford produce their dual-cab utes, allowing the Chinese brand to tap into Thailand's vast supply chain and manufacturing knowledge.

Thailand used to be a cheap destination, it isn't anymore our $ has slid about 30% against the Baht in the last 10 years, meanwhile we think we are going to change the World.
I think people are in for a big shock, IMO it will be our World that changes.

About the same as it slid against the US$

 

[sptrawler]

About the same as it slid against the US$

Correct, the difference is since our $ was floated, it has remained fairly steady against the U.S and U.K pound over the period, against poorer economies we have fallen dramatically.

 

[Humid]

Your talking just post GFC about a country that come out of it pretty much unscathed!
The Aussie peso was worth more than the US so now it’s dropped about the same level as the Baht

 

[sptrawler]

Your talking just post GFC about a country that come out of it pretty much unscathed!
The Aussie peso was worth more than the US so now it’s dropped about the same level as the Baht

Pre GFC the Aussie dollar would have been even stronger against the Baht, even against NZ our currency has weakened.
Just look up historical data comparing relative exchange rates.
I'm just pointing out our economy is changing to a materials/primary producing economy, from a mixed base economy. If it continues our dollar will continue to slide against Countries with a manufacturing based economy, as that is what value adds and increases productivity.
Just my opinion.

 

[Humid]

It's rather depressing and self-destructive when people hang their hopes on coal mining for a job (while we are selling our water and soil to foreign interests).

How Australian's think the rest of the world owe them a living is besides me. What gets me though is that the educated class have sold out their morals and the future of the less fortunate for a few bucks.

Not that the big accounting firms that have now replaced our public service in policy formulation would agree with that!

But it’s big money for relatively basic skills and what other jobs are out there.
You forget your morals when the banks circling

 

[Humid]

Pre GFC the Aussie dollar would have been even stronger against the Baht, even against NZ our currency has weakened.
Just look up historical data comparing relative exchange rates.
I'm just pointing out our economy is changing to a materials/primary producing economy, from a mixed base economy. If it continues our dollar will continue to slide against Countries with a manufacturing based economy, as that is what value adds and increases productivity.
Just my opinion.

Maybe you should check the historical data with the baht

 

[sptrawler]

Maybe you should check the historical data with the baht

I went to Thailand in the 1990's the exchange rate was 34baht to the dollar, now the rate hangs around 20baht to the dollar.

 

[Humid]

I went to Thailand in the 1990's the exchange rate was 34baht to the dollar, now the rate hangs around 20baht to the dollar.

Let me guess about the time of the Asian financial crisis

 

[sptrawler]

Let me guess about the time of the Asian financial crisis

O.k next subject.

 

[Humid]

Coal or any mining activity as automatisation could see 12 to 50 people run a full scale mine, most located in a city office 1000kms away, first in Brisbane or Perth, 10y later in Saigon or Mumbai with a dozen max repair team on site
so much safer, and who would want to work in 45C ...the Big Miners will tell you

Although there is never ending shutdown maintenance

 

[qldfrog]

Although there is never ending shutdown maintenance

One aspect of full automation is simplicity, removal of all safety systems etc overall simpler autonomous systems will require less maintenance and more a custom one based on actual need not a time table.
Equipment will have to be designed to handle this..but they will ultimately
And the local site support team will handle it and if not able to, 2 plane loads of philippinos engineers will do it swap team like.
My 2c

 

[basilio]

Another HUGE wage theft story coming out.
The deliberate underpayment of hospitality workers has been open secret for years. In fact one of the main reasons for bringing in overseas chefs ect was to make it so much easier to pay them roughly half the going rate.

‘I felt like a slave’: Pub king Justin Hemmes’ empire hit with $120m wage underpayment class action
Hospitality golden boy Justin Hemmes’ billion-dollar pub empire has been rocked by explosive claims it ripped off its workers for years.

Employment law firm Adero is bringing an open class action on behalf of an estimated 8000 former and current employees of the mega company, with 235 already registered, claiming they were regularly overworked and significantly underpaid.

...The landmark case involves two allegations – the first being that salaried employees, mostly chefs and managers, were paid for a contracted 38 hours per week but rostered to work an average of 55 hours, and often more, without any additional pay.

...But the second and most significant part of the class action relates to Merivale’s employment agreement covering every worker, permanent and casual, which Adero argues was invalid for a decade from 2009 onwards.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/wor...n/news-story/323776ce912a2d6d854af76f456015a7

“If the court agrees with our argument that the agreement shouldn’t have been used, then all Merivale hospitality workers since 2014 will be entitled to compensation,” Mr Driver said.

.....
Background on the business.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/wor...y/news-story/e174156b66c050c267242d68defde2f6

https://www.news.com.au/finance/wor...y/news-story/0317563d67bf04a08ad7030f3061dd4f

 

[satanoperca]

In relation to above artucle, what f--js me off, is how many businesses went to the wall doing the right thing by employees.

How is one to compete, when your competitors are sucking 30% free labour.

What is more scarry is that it seems to be everyone from 7-11, woolworths, coles etc

 

[Humid]

What irks me is a RC into unions you know the organisations that prevent this type of thing.
The demonisation of unions by the media has worked a treat

Join a union dumbarses

 

[PZ99]

Good thing John Howard lost his Govt and seat when he did.

Otherwise all this crap would've been legal and far more widespread.