For Steve Madden.

The check out chick will now be working under the same conditions that existed in the United States 30 years ago.

Her solution, save her money, get educated, buy a business and then see how little she gets paid per hour.

By legislating that people can now be dismissed for practically any reason, even unfair - or even NO REASON AT ALL - the Liberals have practically abolished job security in Australia.

Remember that when you vote in the Federal election in 2007. JOB SECURITY EFFECTIVELY ABOLISHED by the Liberal Party.

Vote Liberals last in 2007. Spread the word to everyone you can...

Kevin,

My opinion that economic growth will eventually turn downward is based on the fact that we are in a boom primarily resulting from China's current demand for our resources.

This demand is unsustainable and it would not take much to turn it around.

A drop in consumer confidence is also possible and it was only the lowering of petrol prices that eased the current drop. Another spike in interest rates will also leave many vulnerable.

Another "correction" in the stock market can also happen at any time, historically there has always been a bust following a war, and potential economic problems from the burgeoning US deficit will eventually materialise in our economy too.

I'm not trying to appear pessimistic but nothing in nature (or anywhere else) keeps on growing forever.

Workchoices was created to insulate employers from such effects by allowing them to cut labour costs when demand drops while trying to remain competitive in a world economy. (And also to put an end to collective bargaining).

It's got little to do with creating jobs that weren't needed in the first place.

The inherent problem is that by reducing wages, employers are also reducing the spending power of their own customers in a market that cannot keep growing without limits.

If you want to see how healthy a society really is, as well as unemployment rates, maybe you should look at bankruptcies, violent crime, homelessness and suicide rates.

Valuable or valueless?

Before I knew I was getting seriously lost in the "fair-go" Australia thing, but now I am even loster... then ever just lost!

How can we justify 160 or so... Australian workers being put off by Telstra(as announced) yesterday, as Telstra plans to shift their workload off-shore to India or China .... so as to capitalise on reduced wage costs... for the benefit of it's own Telstra shareholders?

Is this how the Australian government, with it's associated partnership with high flyers in corporational capitalisms values people?

"How many regional jobs is the Government prepared to sacrifice in order to improve Telstra's flagging share price?

Is this the trendy long-term gift we are to expect with new telecommnication and technology?

What on earth is happening here?

In rural areas we have a substantial population of farmers in server drought, against the wall, heart-broken and many suicidal.

In regional cities we have workers on mass being bullied seriously by IR's with the government selling us, Australia's valueable 'human capital" (along with our valuable public assets) out... like lab rats used and abused randomly to test drugs....

What for ..... more unjust money?

This is shocking socio-economic unsustainable demographic pressure. A unsparingly harsh and burdensome condition of physical, mental, social, or economic distress being placed on Australian peoples in rural, regional areas at large.

How can this kind of thing given-away and lost... ever be valued as progressive?

Wake up Australia, we need to do something about this!

To Miacat, Wobbles, Ex-lib-voter and Steve, good posts which state the obvious. I work in a particular field of nursing in which most of my clients have been discarded by society. Sometimes, it takes a very long time and repeated treatment and assistance to get the root of their problems. Guess what pops up most? Lack of security! Lack of security quickly give way to all kinds of health conditions from obesity (poorer people eat poorer diets), heart disease (same reason), drugs & alcoholism and don't even get me started on mental health issues.
Kevin, I hope your sirname isn't "Andrews" but even so, surely you too must see that insecurity in your chosen field of work leads to insecurity about taking out a loan which in turn stifles investment. I would love to extend my education, but Uni means hecs fees and my lack of job security means I won't be going down that path. My large rural city is full of unemployed nurses, teachers and accountants. Many people are casual workers unable to find full time employment. No wonder they buy so much junk produce from China. It's cheap and they can afford it without risk. I really believe that job insecurity might be the very thing that turns the screws on National prosperity and will hasten the inevitable crunch that follows a long growth cycle. Throw in a war, climate change or oil supply problems and there goes the neighbourhood.

The IR 'reforms' are basically lowering our safety net. Ultimately the result will be a larger pool of lower paid workers. Not all are privy to an equitable bargaining process with an employer - it's often a matter of "take it or leave it" - educated or not. The American system of poverty low wages in many service industries, with tipping to make up the short fall, would seem an almost nasty adoption for 'Aussie' culture. The huge gap between the fewer 'haves' and far greater 'have-nots' is also more predominant within a less protected system. Undoubtedly, there is a financial cost to some 'evening' out of profit levels - but's there's a greater social cost in not doing so. Our ‘mate’, Sol Trujillo, is merely giving the Howard Government a bit of its own curry - now there's an enterprise bargainor, if ever I've seen one.

Employers will generally (if not, without exception) maximise profit and reduce their cost - that's the game. Good, efficient workers = profit. "Happy" workers are only affordable when there isn’t enough labour to go around.