Ant wrote: “however, my recollections are that in days of yore there was not the level of part time employment that there is now” This is correct. there were fewer opportunities for part time employment.

Johnj wrote: “Public holidays, RDOs, penalty rates, rest breaks, annual leave etc etc can be be removed under AWAs. I'd want a damn sight more than 15% to compensate, but perhaps your choice might be different” Let’s do the math. Working days excluding public holidays = 365 days * 5/7 = 261. 16% (not 15%) of 261 = 41days. Remove 20 days annual leave = 21 days. RDOs are a flexible working arrangement so are irrelevant in the calculation. Your suggesting people sign away rest breaks in their AWAs is pandering union propaganda. Thus we have around 21 days of extra pay just for removing penalty rates and public holidays which may be attractive to a lot of workers i.e. Work “Choices”.

Rache wrote: “Everybody else on an AWA with me has identical conditions and we are all getting less than those on Award conditions for doing the same work.” I see numerous claims like these on various blogs so please forgive my scepticism. It is interesting that the WorkChoices web site states: “Although terms in awards about annual leave, personal/carer’s leave and parental leave are preserved, an employee’s entitlements will generally be determined by the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard (the Standard). When a preserved award term is more generous to an employee than the Standard, the more generous award entitlement will apply. Otherwise the Standard applies.” Now let’s look at another example that occurred to me when employed in telecommunications in the late 80s under a Labour federal govt. I was forced to join the ETU before I could enter construction sites in the CBD and in a 3 month period I had to go on strike several times without being told why. The outcome? I was getting much less than the award.

KBurger.

How many days in a year? How many public holidays?

I think you will find "Working days excluding public holidays" are 355.

What part of: "The Standard contains five minimum conditions. Additionally, certain protected conditions are included in the Australian workplace agreement, unless the agreement specifically excludes or changes these protected conditions." Do you fail to understand?

No wonder you were a telecom tech.

“Is inflation low?” Yes

“Have there been 8 interest rate rises?” Yes

“Very few governments have stayed in office when inflation and interest rates are higher than they were at the previous election.” Fortunately inflation is trending downward now that the drought is easing which is good news for the taxpayers that are finally witnessing the removal of dole bludgers, professional students, and union bosses from society.

“You probably believe the "never had it so good" line as well.” Yes

“How many days in a year?” 365.25

“How many public holidays?” “I think you will find "Working days excluding public holidays" are 355.“ So?

“What part of: "The Standard contains five minimum conditions. Additionally, certain protected conditions are included in the Australian workplace agreement, unless the agreement specifically excludes or changes these protected conditions." Do you fail to understand?” None.

“No wonder you were a telecom tech.” Yes but thanks to the favourable job market provided by a coalition govt over the last 10 years I moved up to a highly paid managerial role in IT Security while completing a degree part time, and can guarantee that I was on more money than you will ever be (unless of course you are one of those parasitic union bosses who sponge money off hard working union members to fill the trough and fund the Labour party). I am now trading shares for a living, perusing travel brochures, playing tennis, golf, scuba diving, sipping latte’s etc. What do you get up to when you are not writing vitriol on these blogs?

No more communistcations between me and ruawake.

Krusty,
How good of you to point out this state of affairs began in late 1983 when Keating floated the dollar, much of the hard yards were done by Hawke and Keating well before Howard and Costello came along to take advantage of the good work. I am surprised however that the ETU would have you as a member, they are usually picky about who they allow to join. A Telecom tech who benefited from the unions presence, who now thinks he's better than everybody else, how arrogant can you get.

"I am now trading shares for a living, perusing travel brochures, playing tennis, golf, scuba diving, sipping latte’s etc. What do you get up to when you are not writing vitriol on these blogs?" (Quote: krustybuger)

PRAT!

Anyone like to consider that the sort of jobs available have changed since the union membership peak? The many jobs which required unskilled or minimally skilled labour have often been mechanised or computerised or something else 'ised' but they have all resulted in a reduction of the number of people required to do the amount of work.
Despite that everyone still expects that they should be the ones to be in full time employment with a superior rate of pay and employment conditions.
This is something never mentioned by the union heavy weights. They can talk all they like about skills training but the jobs still have to be there - and, unfortunately, some people will never have the capacity to acquire the skills. We can't all be in charge of the technical side of the highest levels of rocket science.