The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Let's not price disabled people out of a job > Comments

Let's not price disabled people out of a job : Comments

By David Leyonhjelm, published 9/6/2015

It is also unknown how many of the people who campaigned for higher wages for the disabled have put their money where their mouth is by employing more disabled people. I strongly suspect the number is zero.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All
Well done, David, for bringing this issue to the public eye. The utopian campaigners, as you call them, are the publicly funded disability advocates who are using this wage case in an attempt to close down ADEs, which used to be called sheltered workshops. They have a couple of Unions on side and the "crowd" in the form of GetUp. But the families and the people with disability themselves are unrepresented in this fight, while being the ones with the most to lose. ADEs have their place in the employment continuum and serve a real purpose, bringing purpose to the lives of twenty thousand Australians, most of whom could never find a place in open employment. We need to be aware that most people with a disability are generously supported through government benefits. They need work far more than they need money, so let's not price them out of a job.
Posted by estelles, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 9:50:11 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Sorry David, I see things somewhat differently!

Within the scope of their abilities the disabled are better more reliable workers!

The guy with mild cerebral palsy may have been an intellectual Giant?

I knew one such bloke when I was still in my twenties. He was our head storeman, knew to the article and the minute what was in stock, and what orders were outstanding, which on his watch were none.

Others may have the mathematical ability of rain man, and are invariably overlooked because of some character traits!

And boring repetitious assembly line jobs are tailor made for folks for whom such work is heaven, along with a pay packet!

The only ones wanting to price such folk out of a job are those who just want to exploit their superior abilities, enduring patience and reliability.

Yes sometimes you need to spend a little more time with such folk teaching them useful job skills, but they turn up when the more capable is at home nursing a self inflicted hangover etc!

We move our call centres offshore, even though almost everyone confined in a wheelchair can answer a phone.

And governments just don't help by still putting payroll tax on the disabled as well! Which then all too often mean that the disabled live out a mediocre lives, living on pensions that wouldn't even pay for a Sydney bedsit!

And a lose lose; but particularly when some of our brightest minds are locked inside profoundly disabled bodies. And while not all of them a Stephan Hawkins, some could be his equal or superior!?

And how would anyone know, but particularly in a constantly dumbed down Australia!

If one understands the average company payroll is just 16% of the recurrent outlays, then one is bemused by the myopic focus on wages, but not so overgenerous salaries!

A few more disabled folk populating parliaments/boardrooms and we wouldn't ever need to have this conversation ever again!
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 10:50:13 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
David,

I agree that much needs to be done to encourage employers to hire disabled people. My experience in trying to hire someone with relatively minor disability was that the insurance premiums that we needed to pay increased, and the unions refused to consider a slightly reduced wage based on reduced ability and increased costs. The result was that we hired someone else.

Rhosty,

While I agree that if a disabled person can fully perform the functions required of a job, that he should be paid the same as a fully able person, I would contest that this does not apply to the majority of cases as nearly 50% of those working age disabled are unemployed. I strongly feel that making employment wage conditions flexible for these people would get them in the door and possibly a better job down the line. At least it would give them some dignity, and reduce the cost to the taxpayer.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 12:02:59 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I have a disabled child 17yrs old he has ADD ODD ADHD GDD and high functioning autism. He is also intellectually mild.
My boy is in the transition to work program. Wollongong.
In my experience the disabled workers that are employed by IVS, mowing lawns, do a far superior job than professionals but get paid $1.39 per hour.
My lad wont be going down that track, unless he wants to. I have a couple of lawns to mow now and I can give him those, if he wants. I think he would be bored out of his wits in 6 months(but would do the job better than I could).
This lad is the best with small kids. Whenever I ask him about working in childcare his whole body perks up. So Just asked him and he told me he is happy about me posting about him and he really does want to do childcare.
He is 6'4' and big.
Thanks for listening. The boy is unreal.
Sean
Posted by seanw, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 8:18:45 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Rhrosty,

"We move our call centres offshore, even though almost everyone confined in a wheelchair can answer a phone."

That is the point of this post. It is much cheaper to have people in other countries to answer a phone, than have Australians in a wheelchair to do the same. That is what "price disabled people out of a job" means. Your reference to unusual abilities might be valid in some cases, but are not prevalent generally. Especially not among intellectually disabled people.
Posted by hermit, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 8:37:33 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I have Hereditar Spastic Paraplegia, I am 57 and have worked many jobs over the yrs. Now noone wants to know someone like me. Until middle 2008 was working as a teacher librarian but got a new boss who didn't want someone like me running his library. So pressure to take my leave and be medically retired. Now do volunteer work in town. No jobs for someone like me in country town.
Posted by lamp, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 11:42:50 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy