...and....

AIRCRAFT MAINTAINANCE (this mornings news)

to mention just a few of the industries effected by the migration of Jobs to other countries.

Now.. 'why' are so few people up in arms about the legistlative framework which allows this ?

Most likely its the 'frog in beaker' effect. If you boil it slowly it doesn't know its being cooked.... and will just die.

Bit by bit, industries and jobs are being 're-settled' in other countries. Just keep up with the news over a one year period with this theme in mind.

RESPONSES ? Well, just like a corrupt political opposition in the Philippines will cry and rant and rail about 'CORRUPTION' in the status quo, Bill Shortern and others cry and rant about 'ATTACK ON FAMILIES'.. duh....(hmm why ? for families ? hah ! no, because of a political ambition)

When in fact, the Industrial relations changes are simply a short term government knee jerk reaction and bandaid attempt to make us "more competitive" AT THE EXPENSE of all the industries listed above.

CAPITALIST corporations are faced with this: =>Increase profits, reduce costs.

Capitalist corporations "without a social conscience" will add to the 2nd point "At any cost" (cost reduction) which leads of course to overseas outsourcing.

When asked WHY ? the obvious (and correct) answer would be:

"Because union demands for better pay and conditions have not just lessened our profitability, they have made us 'not viable' as a company. (this would be true of many, but not all, e.g. Qantas is profitable NOW, but still wants to outsource maintainance o'seas)

So, perhaps the goal of our community should be to inculcate a sense of social conscience in our corporate fabric at BOTH ends of the spectrum .. the organized labor and the managerial.

Continued demands for better pay will only fuel this cyclical syndrome unless productivity likewise improves.

NO! to being 'BLIND, DUMB and/or STUPID

I myself raised in another discussion (http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=181) the issue of compeition from low wage companies that BOAZ_David has repeatedly raised on this forum.

Over there, BOAZ_David seems to have argued that Malaysian workers are doing really well, so why are jobs being lost to Malaysia?

When we embarked upon the globalisation experiment back in the 1980's under the Hawke and Keating government, the common sense objections that most of us held, that low wages from overseas could destroy many of our industries including our manufacturing industries, were brushed aside by the same people who are now preaching that we have to lower our living standards in order to compete with those wage levels.

If we continue with the present trend, we will have little basis for our economy, other than property speculation, the export of non-renewable natural resources, and a lot of paper shuffling.

This can only lead to dependency and impoverishment in the longer run, particularly when the dwindling supplies of non-renewable petroleum inevitably make large scale global trade impossible in the near future.

It is time we abandoned the reckless economic experiment of globalisation and neo-liberalism and it is time that our Government got back to the job of looking after the long term welfare of all Australians.

Dagget, I could not agree more mate.

There are only 2 possible responses to the trend you well recognize.

1/ Let it continue and see all that you stated be fulfilled
2/ Legislate for our own benefit and protection.

Point 2 is not suggesting protecting inefficient industries and prop them up. It is saying protect them from UNfair playing fields and artificially low labor rates by dictatorial regimes.
It IS saying, that the practice of outsourcing large chunks of the labor force to cheap Asian countries by businesses who's bulk operations are in Australia should be OUTLAWED !

It mainly produces lower 'business costs' but seldom 'lower prices'.

A SMART government can make appropriate decisions along these lines,
A DUMB government will simply reap the short term rewards, allow the dramatic and probably irreversible social restructuring to occur (save by revolution of masses of unemployed dissaffected people) and continue the cocktail party circuit of self congratulation.

I have zero faith in the Bill Shorterns of this world, who seem to be driven by ambition and party doctrine of 'LABOR' I have almost the same lack of confidence in the Coalition, who are also driven by the obscure 'productivity commission' and various other agricultural and commodity power bases.

As a Christian I do have confidence in the politics of Justice and Honouring God and His standards in our national life and Government.

Apart from miniscule Family First, I don't see to many effectual luminaries on the horizon. So perhaps it's up to us, the voters to drag our government, kicking and screaming if need be, to see the folly of their ways and start looking after the country rather than simply selected vested interests.

Maybe it's also time for the 'vested interests' to see past their next balance sheet to a better future for all of us.

Let me close with a quote from the prophet Isaiah, never one to mince words:
Is 1.7
Your country is desolate,
your cities burned with fire;
your fields are being stripped by foreigners
right before you,
laid waste as when overthrown by strangers

Does anyone in this forum find it a contradiction in terms, that we can't afford pay rises for the workforce, however business owners get such a great advantage from the A.T.O. and can clain things on tax, that we can't claim, and big organisation like Telstra and Quantas "who can not afford Australian workers" and move our jobs off shore, always seem to easily afford golden handshakes of $ millions for the C.E.O who sacks us.

Shonga, you've got it in a nutshell. Yes there is a huge inequity where workers are expected to do more on less and the upper echelon (CEO's etc) are paid way beyond their true worth.

We are heading for a class of working poor - just like in the USA.

I have recently become unemployed - have a mortgage to pay (not excessive very modest) and I will be expected to take any job for any rate of pay - looks like I'll be selling my home soon if I can't find work that pays a liveable income. Of course people like me don't matter - I'm single have no children to support - I don't count at all.

Scout, I am amazed at the concern that politicians express about families, everyone builds a picture of mum, dad and 3 kids. That really isn't the reality.

I was a census collector in 2001 and in my inner city collection district if I remember my preliminary count properly the population was 70% female. Only 10% of households had male female who could have been married or partnered.

Coupled with "the lowest unemployment rates for 29 years" I am deeply suspicious of all Australian statistics. I can remember 29 years ago. I can't remember skilled workers being rung at 7:15am to start work at 8:30am. 10% of Victorian teachers are hired that way daily. Reminiscent of the waterside workers "bull system" of the 1930s and 1940s.

I am sure the IR changes and proposed welfare changes will force people to rely on their families because government and church welfare will be severely limited and strained.

I was always taught to look out for my younger siblings and not to take advantage of those who couldn't defend themselves and I thought that's what society was all about. Hmmm stupid me!