I can understand Gen Y's being more techological that previous generations but would seriously question if they are more skilled. By skilled do you mean gaining a certificate for a job that many could do with their eyes closed 15 years ago? I have worked with people within the Y group and their basic general knowledge, knowledge of how business operates, banking systems, retail etc was minimal compared to the same age group 15 years ago. How do we define skills? Is it certificate based? Knowledge based? My skills are from work experience, and tried and tested. By the way, labourers are not a dying breed. Who builds the houses, sweeps the floors, washes windows, washes dishes,? Not everyone gets the opportunity to own the ladder.

The reason they (Gen Y's) feel they do not need a union is that all the benefits have been there for them (quite rightly too). Once these benefits are removed, they will then cry foul and realise the value of Unions. As to the Unions targeting this group, I say, good on them, because they know that these Gen Y's will be suffering and floating down the river without a paddle. My own children are in this group. I hope that there will be younger Union officials who can reach out and be helpful to this group, on their level and with an understanding of their needs and fears.

Unions are accountable for where they spend the monies. I would like to see them lower their fees so that more workers could afford to be a member, the more members, the stronger the Union

Tinkerbell,

you are misunderstanding me.

As a whole, gen y'ers are being educated for longer, going to year 12 and many more people are attending university than in the 60s and 70s when you had the opportunity. I am not attacking anyone.

I am not saying we are any smarter, in fact, what we make up for in embracing technology we lack in many things, perhaps socially etc.

By saying gen y'ers are not so bright as 15 years ago as you have worked with them, 15 years ago banking systems were far different as were the office environment, as it was pre internet days.

Compare apples with apples, 15 years ago they should have taken more on board as they had less to uptake than today.

Be reasonable please. we are not all going to ruin because of gen y'ers. We must be careful though that we dont 'trap' many gen y'ers who are forced to work whilst attending university, and degradating wages and conditions mean they have to work harder to make ends meet, making the drop out rate higher.

I hope the poverty trap is not set, so give gen y'ers more credit than you are, Tinkerbell, we have plenty on our plate, esp with IR coming.

Thank you Rebecca and Peter for your article.

Speaking from my own experience as a Gen Y, I don't know of a single person from my age group who is even considering joining a union. I suspect most of us will have no need given that we are likely to jump from job to job and industry to industry on a frequent basis as our conditions change.

This is not to say unions will die out completely as their will probably always be unions for nurses, doctors and emergency services.

Bruce 20.10.05 YES, the US has some laws to tame the Unions, perhaps that it why their minimum wage is $5.15 p.h. and has been for the previous 7 years, I hope you don't mind working for this amount in the future, for many years, since you endorse the policy

The federal minimum wage is slowly becoming irrelevant in the USA. Clinton passed laws to allow the states to set their own minimums. Many do and the number is steadly increasing. The state minimums where they exist are higher than the federal minimum. The US federal minimum does not tell the real story about the stituation in the USA. In many states the federal minimum could be zero and it would make no difference due to state law.

Any sane federal government in the USA should never increase the minimum wage. Leaving it instead to be set appropriately for the economic situation in each state.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage#Minimum_wage_in_the_United_States

The best state minimum wage in the USA is $7.35 in Washington DC, - hope they don't rush out and spend it all at once. I would not use those figures as a basis for proof that our current discussions re IR reforms should follow the USA.
As to the Gen Y'ers feeling that they will be able to negotiate their own contracts easier than X'ers and the rest of us etc, one can only hope that they do not work for a Company with more than 20 employees, as the only access they will have to discuss this with, will be the HR department, or their supervisors.
Maybe we need these Gen y'ers in there sitting with the rest of the workers and pulling off a great negotiation.
I have seen the best sales people (with fantastic negotiating skills), the best orators, the strong and the weak all fall under the hammer to the bosses. I wish them the best and hope they succeed.