The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Jobs for Pacific Islanders or our own Aborigines? > Comments

Jobs for Pacific Islanders or our own Aborigines? : Comments

By Helen Hughes, published 19/10/2006

Why is Northern Queensland calling for fruit pickers from the Pacific Islands?

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. Page 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. All
Totally agree with everything you said Banjo especially about working harder and getting luckier.

I think the safer option would be for fruit pickers to tender out their labor needs and for bidders to emerge from communities themselves.

This approach would allow for community tenderers as labour providers to explore broader labour market opportunities for workers, enter into collective wage agreements (ouch!) and project longer term investment into the workers own employment and career ambitions.

The history of Aboriginal engagement in Australian labour markets is not all rosy. See http://www.eniar.org/action/stolen.html

A lot of our youth in remote areas need good support around them when they enter the real world of work.

For me Aboriginal community’s purchasing these orchids would be the ultimate! When workers have a stakehold in their own employment beyong pay days it ensures some loyalty and good work ethic is embedded into all production values.

Cheers!
Posted by Rainier, Saturday, 21 October 2006 1:58:40 PM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Troubles, kartiya? What troubles? I’m as happy as a sand boy. I have no troubles at all.

All people are not equal – and only a fool would dispute that. Some people are not equal to the task of living in the modern world; and they are not all aborigines. There are many, many aborigines who are working and living in the modern world, not banged up on reserves.

We never hear about them. You and your fellow whingers just drag up the no hopers and call for more handouts. We could all be forgiven for thinking that kartiya and co. are also losers, the fuss they make.

If you want to harp on negative people, you’ll get negative back.

AKA,

Everybody whose opinions you don’t like is a redneck, eh? What a deep thinker you are! A real Rhodes Scholar. And you won’t see me lugging bananas, because I don’t have to. I have mentioned many times the aborigines I know who do work and live within the wider community, some with distinction; so don’t your dare question what I “dare” to say, you arrogant twerp.

I really must stop reacting to unintelligent boofheads.
Posted by Leigh, Saturday, 21 October 2006 4:04:27 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
As leigh has shown his/her own social IQ, theres nothing much more to add except!
Not all can be at the top or successful. So how about a little respect to those who struggle to survive. Leigh you may be at the top of the hill of comfort, just remember, there are others that do not have the opportunity,luck or inheritance that you had.

Humility costs nothing!
Posted by Kipp, Saturday, 21 October 2006 7:31:48 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
"If the farmers could guarantee 40 hours per week min. at $20 per hour there would be a queue of workers. Black and white Australians would be there."

Actually not so in the meat industry in WA. There are those sorts
of jobs being offered, still no takers. Fact is that you cannot
force people to work, if they simply don't want to. Some are
on drugs, so you can't put them on a meat chain with a knife, for
safety reasons. Others simply can't be bothered. Others have
simply never learnt the work ethic, like getting out of bed to
rock up for work, despite the drunken party last night etc..

In WA, alot of good workers have gone to the mines, where they
can make huge money as plant operators etc. That leaves a huge
gap in places like meatworks. There is only one solution. Fly
them in as contract seasonal workers from Asia, Aussies simply
don't want the jobs.
Posted by Yabby, Saturday, 21 October 2006 8:24:44 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Yabby,

Re your post "There is only one solution. Fly them in as contract seasonal workers from Asia". Not so. Aussie workers could be marched in. You know, like under the direct orders of a hard but fair bloke that wears a crown or a royal coat of arms as a rank badge on his arm. As UNIVERSAL national servicemen and women, to work under such wages and conditions of service as the Parliament may determine and the military board prescribe. At the abbatoir, the formed body of troops would, in time-honoured tradition, be referred to as a "work party", and would work as directed by their Officers and NCOs.

Needless to say, such work parties would not be offered as a free bonus to the enterprises claiming that jobs were going begging. To qualify for such assistance, prospective employers in these labour-starved enterprises could be required to meet what should be quite exacting standards of man-management and administration. It might be surprising how many enterprises might opt to refuse the 'work party package', and how not only wages and conditions offerred might change in the mere presence of such a scheme, but how many positions might be filled by non-conscripted labour.

You may note the complete absence of any reference to unions in this preview. The reason should be self-evident. Today they are seen as irrelevant. They became so because for over a century they were hijacked to the service of a belief-system that probably, truth be known, is behind the very globalisation that is now seen as being the root of many of Australia's present difficulties. In their hearts, most remaining supporters of this movement, and what has been claimed to have been its political arm, now know this to be true.

Perhaps freedom can only fully be appreciated if, for a time, it is limited. If Australia is not to experience a 'speedo' regime the like of that which prevailed in parts of Thailand and Burma in 1943, it would be well advised to pay attention to the team game.
Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Sunday, 22 October 2006 10:17:42 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
"Not so. Aussie workers could be marched in."

Not so FG, not in today's society. Australia has effectively
created a society where work is optional for many. Thats the
reality. Have you ever employed people, operating machinery,
who simply don't want to be there? The damage they can
do is enormous. If they are on drugs, again dangerous. If
they simply don't bother to turn up, again that makes
things like meat chains hard to run.

Fact is, work on a meat chain is not such a pleasant
job, people today prefer cushy jobs, like operating
computers or similar. So exports are being lost and
held up because of the problem. The real problem
is, that WA seems to hardly matter in the bigger
scheme of things, apart from earning money for the
country. With only 10% of the population, our needs
are largely ignored.

I don't think that 900$-1000$ a week, for what
is essentially unskilled labour, or trained on site,
is such a bad deal for the workers. If you know
of anyone who wants a job, tell them to ring Wammco
in Katanning or any other processor in WA.
Posted by Yabby, Sunday, 22 October 2006 10:42:22 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. Page 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy