It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
flexible industrial relations package that will see Australias economy grow even further!
300,000 Australian workers took to the streets in a series of nationwide rallies today to protest against the conservative government's new industrial relations laws. The laws impose heavy restrictions on workers' rights to union representation and give employers huge power to determine wages and conditions unilaterally.
Originally posted by Agit8dChop
Of course Australia is booming.
If I earn $60,000 a yaer,
%50 of that goes to the government.
and ontop of all that, I have to pay %10 extra for all my goods, and give that to the government too
Nurses, Doctors, Truck Drivers, Electrical companies, Hospitals, Road workers, Disabled, Welfare all these people get NEXT TO NOTHING.
There screaming for wage increases, for better working conditions.
but the government REFUSES.
What happened to the boat people scandal?
Why is he allowing so many of our citizens to be held for life, or put to death for drug crimes, yet the bali bombers who purposley killed australians are free in a matter of months/years?
Why did he follow us into this war on the grant of getting free trade.. only to be offered a packacge that is CRAP?
Why does he refuse to answer tough questions about his decisions, answering with only
' no comment '
Dont get me wrong, the economic situation of Australia is GREAT..
only because we are doing so much trade with china because of our vast rescources.
this woudl of happened REGARDLESS Who was in power.
Howard is as curropt as the next politician.
HE is definately NOT A GREAT MAN!
Originally posted by kojac
At the expence of the average Australians working rights..
Don't get me wrong, John Howard has done some good things for Australia, but IMO his I.R laws have brought working conditions and rights closer to the American system. All rights for employers, no rights for employee's. I Run a company and i am an employer. Even I think that'a taking it to far.
I believe the Unions need to be taking more of a stand, but in some ways they are helpless. In saying that if we have the choice between a Howard government or a Beazley government, I'll stick with Johny. The lesser of two Evils..
Personally, i would have preffered Steve Irwan running the country.
R.I.P mate!
Originally posted by Ezekiel
Unlike business owners who often have to take out loans, or mortgage their house to afford to start a business which CREATES JOBS for these people. If the new laws protect the people who are risking all to make a living AND CREATE JOBS FOR OTHER PEOPLE - how can that be unfair?
Originally posted by xpert11
Well you have to look beyond the BS that the Howard government spews out.
How is it fair that the system is open to abuse from the the likes of bussiness owners ?
How is it fair that if you work in company with less then one 100 employes unfair dismissal laws dont apply ?
Create jobs you have to be kidding me the opposite applys once Bussiness fail to invest in people and there wages go down people invest less money in the econmy and thus less jobs are created.
I dont think that a lazy or incompant should enjoy blanket protection but NZ is proof that Howards IR reforms will fail.
Dont you find it odd that Aust out performed NZ in econmic terms despite the IR reforms NZ had 10 years ago or so ?
Why bother competing with the likes of India and China in terms of wages ?
Even with the IR reforms NZ still cant compete with the likes of China in terms of paying people pittence. Companys still leave NZ for China and India so the whole argument that the reforms would make the country more compitive in ecomic terms is bogus.
Knowing that you can be fired easily by some uncaring boss people feel less valued and they are less likely to go to the extra mile. Take it from me Howards legecy will be that he lowed living standards , created skill shortages and gained nothing in return.
Originally posted by xpert11
Ezekiel I guess a part of picture is bussiness mangement . To be fair you have raised some very valid points Aust will always have natural resources to fall back on so the skills shortages probaly wont hurt Aust as much as they did NZ. NZ is very much a skills driven econmy.
skills shortages are a very diffcult problem to solve it is easy enough to Educate people with skills that are needed but people tend go overseas in order to pay off there student loans or once they have some experiance under there belt they go overseas where they get paid more .
I am happy to agree to disagree. As for regulating bussiness I dont have a stance either way Im happy for bussiness to function without a mass of regulation providing that its we dont shoot our selvs in the foot. NZ is also chasing a Free trade agreement with China.
Originally posted by Ezekiel
Yeah that is a real problem. The government spends heaps of money educating people only to have them take off overseas. I know that as soon as I get offered more money to go work overseas I'll be outta here =D
I think you have a very smart position on that - let the businesses run without too much regulation as long as they dont mess it up. Australian businesses will now get the chance to prove themselves, I just hope that the good business owners & operators outshine the people who will inevitably abuse the system.
Originally posted by Sth Hemisphere
With the new IR laws that came in it still is a worry that you may have to take pay cuts or be on a contract. I always hoped that if you did your job properly that you were safe dosent seam so these days but.
Originally posted by xpert11
Ezekiel with respect you avoided the issue of workers taking a paycut under the new IR regime. In some cases there may be more fairness towards the employer.
But how is it fair that in some cases people are earning less and still paying the same bills ?
Im not a big fan of unions but I do think that workers deserve a fair go. I understand that it is hard to find the right balance Unions are either holding a country to ransome or shorted sighted politicans and employers are doing long term harm to save a few dollars today.
Originally posted by Ezekiel
Funnily enough, as a Liberal voter I think that unions are quite important because if they are managed correctly they do protect workers from employers who would exploit them. (Please dont tell my liberal colleagues i said that!)
I do have to disagree with you that this legislation is short sited. Personally I think that this legislation is very important for Australia's long term economic sustainability, because of the flexibility it introduces into our industrial relations system.
Originally posted by duffster
LOL if the USA want John they can have him but the Americans should look around them and Vote a man like Ron Paul into office
Originally posted by duffster
Rud is getting alot of crap for what good ole John did when he was Pm