What a bleak view of the world you have BOAZ_David to see the rise of the working poor as inevitable.

The ION plant at Lavington [Wodonga} was establlished by Repco when it was still under Australian management when the manager got $75000. When he retired he was replaced by 2 managers who voted themselves salaries of $125,000 12 months later. The massive salaries paid to current [often mediocre] management is not sustainable or fair.

Also on the subject of the car industry, when I worked on the line I always wondered how Joseph Lucas Australia made a profit. They didn't but it didn't matter because the losses made on their Australian plant were written off on the parent company's profit and loss sheet in the UK. They actually made a profit by importing sealed beam headlights from Canada via HongKong. They bought cheap in Canada, sold to Hong Kong who raised the price and on sold the product. Hong Kong's tax rate was 15%.

Bruce's charity must impress the 80% of Australian IT graduates who were unable to find work from 2000 onwards, the 100% of Victorian trained teachers who were unemployed from 1992 - 2000, the Victorian trained physiotherapists and occupational therapists who moved to Canada in 1992 onwards. These university graduates have large HECS debts to pay back. The only occupations where you are unlikely to be "unskilled" are sales or import/export or services like medical, dentistry, plumbing, electrician. Law and accounting are the next professions to be outsourced to India.

Australian workers over age 45 are also considered "unskilled" irrespective of their previous experience, education etc. If you still need to save for your retirement over age 44, stiff!

As the Australian media is controlled by PBL and Murdoch the ACTU has an uphill battle getting workers rights heard. Non-high profile employees of PBL subsidiaries all have horror stories to tell about IR and low pay rates. The ACTU is the only organisation large enough to mobilise people to protest about plans to build this country's economic future by massive increases in the numbers of working poor.

Bruce
you have a point, and I think most of us do. But the level of blindness pervading most of the thinking behind many of the posts is beyond abysmal.
We are going to wake up one morning to find that we have all these skilled people, but no manufacturing to employ them in. This is a cold harsh reality that is 'progressivly' actually happening.

The ONLY response our government has is this "go high tech/value added"

But there are a limited number of entrepreneurs who can do this.

At the same time, our universities (and those of other western countries) are churning out Phd's and Engineers who are then returning to Asia to put into practice the 'Hi-Tech/Value added' principles they learnt here, and translating them into the very products which our government suggests we move into and with access to labor rates our employers only dream of. (but are increasingly seeking via outsourcing)

Then we have the relevance challenged likes of Bill, and other Unionsts who still live in some 'us/them' class war fantasyland, or perhaps its just the on going ego war that carried over from Uni days and student activism ? and who can only retain their (probably well paid) positions by 'appearing' relevant and 'doing' things.

I call on all of us to seek a better understanding of the global and regional dynamics that are happening around us, like smoking, u don't die after the first puff, but sure enough it will get the smoker in the end.

Unless we 'spoon fed' Aussies re-learn the value of extended family, and creative living and re-discover some 'pioneer' spirit, we are to be frank.....doomed.

Having said all that in on a 'social' level, I add this on a spiritual -'and turn away from our self filled lives, back to our Creator through Christ' Saying such things might impact on my own credibility to some, but I speak as one who knows the result in my own life.

The majority of Posts appear to believe that something had to be done to improve the position of the employer not the worker. Point taken, but with permission to answer, however, is it justifiable to get rid of an arbitration system based on democratic and moralistic values, to replace it with a tag to a trickle-down economy where the ordinary worker can only rely on a stroke of luck to finish with a good boss-man.

Tied to the trickle-down economy, as Professor Ron Mcallum, Dean of Law at Sydney University, points out, is the Neo-Liberal agenda to individualise the workplace now having replaced former more harmonic labour laws in the USA. It goes on to say that the free-marketeers who adhere to the neo-liberal agenda have made no secret of the view that workplace relations are best conducted directly between employers and employees without the intrusion of unions or industrial tribunals. This could mean that a wealthy boss and the usual non-wealthy worker must meet each other on the same ground, the boss-man under the new laws, at will to call in a lawyer, whereas the usual battling worker, will have no protection whatever.

It is also well to remember that the free-market neo-liberal agenda is nothing new, as the prefix (neo) implies, having been born in the early 19th century, died down in the early 20th century, active again in the Roaring 1920s, and collapsing again during the Great Depression, only rising again with Thatcherism and Reagonomics. It is also well to remember, that most political scientists hope it will collapse again.

Great BOAZ, so we should pray to Jesus Christ while employers prey upon our carcass? If this is salvation, count me out!

Dear Sand
your response is appreciated, because it illustrates exactly the point I'm trying to make.

Did you note that I left my spiritual exhortation until after I had said my piece on the social issue ?

You came back to me with the 'us/them' approach which is tragic today. "The evil employers are just waiting to screw us"

I am an employer, and to find a good worker is a joy, it is something you seek opportunities to reward. If we don't, they will become increasingly 'self oriented' in the work, they will not be there as part of the team, they will seek every opportunity to minimize work, and maximize self benefit. In my last place of employment, I watched this pattern over and over, and I also experienced it myself.
So, I know from both sides of the fence.
Some employers value 'control' much more than they value productivity and growth. So, one has to decide "stay...or go".. I chose GO..and have been self employed since 1995, and have earned up to $34,000 in one month, with regular monthly company income of $20,000 (gross)

Its not so fruitful now, because just as I had 'circumstances' which fell into place for that, they also fall 'out' of place and it all changes. For the past 3 yrs, I've probably drawn the dole and thats about it. (from my company I mean)

Concerning 'Lets pray to Jesus'.. yes.. lets, but not to give us special financial blessings, or better jobs, but to make us better more ethical people. To give us the inner peace and fulfillment which will make us more attractive to prospective employers and a blessing to our fellow workers, or to give us the vision to make it on our own.

Your 'so the employers can prey on our carcases' seemed like you have locked yourself into an 'employee' mentality. Think further, outside that loop, be liberated from that near victim mentality.
If you take something on urself, and make it, great ! if things don't work out, learn from it and try again.

IR reform is a lovely way to put it, perhaps pre emptive retaliation
is also nice.
If they're not selling us a pup, why spend so much advertising it.
why advertise something without all the details? dosent that seem like shifty business?
As somebody who's going to enter the workforce at the educated end of the spectrum (ha ha ha), if the conditions dont suit me I'll go overseas(ha ha ha), leaving the morons to whinge about the skills shortage.
might even get the mail redirected to address the old HECS debt
(ha ha ha).
So yeah, its a real winner this mythical "reform".
Like most problems, its not planned beyond the term of political tenure.