In a way we all are victims just a few story's need airing.
Today Monday I spent part of my day in good company ,with the your rights at work bus.
A man I know and see every week came too, a trolley pusher, he is mid 60,s and works very hard for $7 an hour.
His boss is a very big firm contracting to both our large food retailers, in a great deal of towns.
They insure no one is game to take them on, using dole earners under false names or pensioners cash in hand.
Woolworth's and Cole's know the whole thing is wrong, some here know it is happening.
John Howard do you care?
Can it be ok to harvest money by using tax fraud?
By allowing dole fraud?
Is this not defrauding every one?
Complaints to prime contractor are answered with its none of your business, you have no members here.
John Howard your safety net is a lie, in this seat held by your Deputy Prime Minister, in a shop he often passes me in humans in need work for near half of the minimum wage, any one care?

Workchoices has reduced the power of unions while empowering some dreadful bosses.
Yes it is illegal to act like this, and far worse than the very worst actions of any union.
But it is also true that it is happening more each day, why?
Can it be in our mad rush to do the impossible, compete with low wages in Asia we are content to destroy our culture for some?
While I was part of that small crowd around that bus 4 such story's all different saw the light in a small country town, how bad is it in our city's?
Mark Vail Sir in our small country town you and I hear every thing know every one.
Are you prepared to tell me you do not know about this?
Do you care?
Or are you happy that some Australians are forever poor so we can prosper?

Belly the harsh reality is this;we either address tarrif reductions or work a lot cheaper to pay for these cheap imported products.This is the down side to Globalisation.Our trade deficit is now $600 billion or or approx $60,000.00 for every working person.

Kevin Rudd also ignores this inconvient truth.Some one must eventually pay.To be competitive we will have to live like them or start putting up tarrifs.

Perhaps there are just too many people and not enough energy and resources.Things will get lot tougher no matter which Govt is in power.

Thanks for posting this, Belly. I had been making much the same point on another thread "Is Terrorism So Bad?":

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=830#14576

"Notwithstanding the figures provided by hired-gun economists, needless poverty and economic insecurity are real and for at least a large minority of Australians today, and many of the rest who enjoy some illusion of material prosperity often overlook how hard and how long they are working for that prosperity and how expensive are many things which used to free."

Arjay, if protectionism is to be reduced, I think the costs we need to shared acroass all sectors of society. Those who shout most loudly in favour of Australian workers competing against sweat shop wages in the Third World don't have to face the prospect of such competition for themselves.

It's interesting that when the whole globalisation experiment began in this country over two decades ago, all the economists promoting it swore blue, against most people's common sense and intution, that this would make every one of us more wealthy. Now that the ugly reality which they denied would eventuate has eventuated they have quietly forgotten what they told us before.

Dear Belly
You are so right.
The new Government adverts do not see the real world out there.
Young people apply for a job. The foreman uses their discretion to sign up a youngster for the lowest rate they can hire them on so all employees are on different wage scales and different penalty reates. The foreman says sign here after you have read the contract if the youngster is not keen on the contract no job. When the employee finds along the way that there is unfairness and the employer is not paying Annual Leave Loading or Public Holidays the employee phones wage line to find out if the contract is correct. Wage Line ask did you sign a contract if that contact is not under the award then dong sorry you have sold your soul. Individual Workplace Agreements should not be touched with a barge pole if any employee signs them they want their brains tested. You would need the most expensive solicitor in the land to defend yourself from any ruthless employer. The concept is to place worker against worker so that the employer does not have to contend with any unity.

Has our deputy Prime Minister been shopping this week?
Would he care to meet me at 9.30 am this Saturday?
We can both talk to the 60 year old Aussie on $7 an hour.
We can both ask is this the Australia we want?
We can both wonder why such large food retailers do not employ shelf packers/trolley pushers on FAIR WAGES?
Yesterday on a civil construction site, siting on the sites septic tank! 7 new workers asked to speak to me, its illegal! not in a union ,not in a lunch room during a meal break ,it is not allowed under workchoices that we talk!
Did you know that?
A go between told me these pipe layers concrete hands are paid as landscape gardeners!
The lowest rates they can be paid
Over $5 an hour less than the right rates.
And that the bosses paper work may show insurance is paid for a far different job than civil construction.
If one dies on the job is the insurance going to pay?
Such is life under workchoices.
Did you know that Mr Vail?
See you on Saturday.