Realist, FYI,I have been a purchasing officer, working 12-13 hour days, at 100 miles an hour, no breaks, to get through my work, for 21 years, so don't you dare have the gaul to tell me, I wouldn't know what the pressure was like, I lived that pressure for 21 years, but was paid a pittance, less than $30,000 p.a. because the company was able to intimidate me as I had a mortgage, and they knew quite well that I couldn't be out of a job. If you are going to say "you should have applied for another job" save your breath, as working flat out for that many hours per day, all one could do at the end of each day, and on weekends, was sleep, and try to recover for the onslaught of the next week. Nobody could have worked harder, or smarter than I, I had too become inventive, and there are many more like me who after such an effort, have a nervous breakdown, and become completely disabled, and cannot take any further part in the workforce. Are you trying to tell me that Mr. King works harder than I did, I don't think so! however when I began working in 1970, a C.e.o was paid 4 times the average worker, now it's 40 times the average worker, and more. $59 million is an obsene amount of money for any employee to collect, especially in the light of these new IR laws, designed to lower the "real minimum wage" in real terms, over time, like the USA we will have 70 year old's working, because they must, the USA minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, and hasn't risen in 7 years, which of course is the idea of these new laws, introduced here. People like you Realist, see what they want to see ironic you should call yourself "Realist" that in itself is hypocrisy, something you would I assume be very comfortable with.

I can empathise with you Shonga. I too consider the multi million dollar remuneration of CEO's as grossly obscene in an environment where hard working toilers are underpaid.
We need to understand that in reality our society is not a true democracy. Electing a government every 3 or 4 years and then having no say on major issues is not what we expect in a modern democratic society.
Instead we have created a system of patronage. If you suck up to the Party in power you can join the gravy train.
This country encourages the 'Jack' system We reward politicians for lying and business for creating a bottom line for 'shareholders'
So called small business operates on the basis of charging what the traffic will bear.When they grow to the point where they need more workers, the very people who toil to create their wealth become a unit of production which has to be cost effective,not a human being entitled to quality of life. There are few exceptions.
I hear more people calling for a change; A Bill of Rights; an end to the two party system;a new,progressive party;A multi party system;A 'Respect' Party like George Galloway formed in the UK; A Green Party with a broader platform. With each election we see advances in Independent Candidates who are in sync with their constituents. We all have to participate in politics and expose the hypocrits that currently rule us . Its happening in South America where Bush was recently rebuffed trying to sell his "Free Trade Agreement" It must happen here too. People need to talk politics and not be ruled by fear campaigns

Maracus, I wholeheartedly agree with your post, I also think the education system should take some responsibility for the apathy of the average Australian voter. When I was at school {35 years ago} we had a subject named "social studies" where students were taught how the party system worked, the relevance of unions, both employee and employer, and a rough outline as to the beginings of the parties and what they stood for. We were then left to decide which if either camp we fell into. These days that subject has a different name, and is an optional subject. If the student chooses ignorance of our system of democracy and instead prefers apathy, we condone that, which to me is a miscarriage of justice to the democratic system we enjoy, and over time has weakened the very essence of our privilage to live in such a system. Some voters would rather watch The Simpsons than the news, to be informed on local,national and international affairs, so in other words, they don't have a clue what is happening around them, which I think is a tragedy, whatever you vote, I believe the subject should be compulsory again, so people have a better chance of knowing what it is they are voting for, please correct me, if you don't agree.

WE make our choices.

My motto: We must be extremely happy with where we are in life otherwise we would change it.

Wingers dont do, doers dont winge. No more sob stories, I dont give mine out, and mine is probably as good as it gets.

I do not think that our workers should have their pay reduced, I am opposed to IR as an employer and if people would read my posts rather than burr up during the course of my post and dont get the context, I would not have to keep explaining myself.

We are in a period of remarkable change, we are working on a global scale no matter what business you are in, the internet and the ability to invest easily overseas has ensured that.

I sympathise with you for working long hours. But we must compare apples with apples, and you get renumerated the greatest for working smarter, not harder. You chose the industry, so you accept what it entails. Dont complain and say you were underpaid and had a mortgage, do you think you are the only one?

You get rewarded in life by correlating risk with reward. If you chose a nice safe bet for an occupation, you will most likely have a nice safe existance. If you chose to take a risk and do something that drives you, or something that will enable you to get what you want, you may crash and burn but at least you are in the race, you are not a complacent spectator.

Please realise if you are one of thousands of people who do the same thing you will be paid accordingly. If you do something unique or sought after, or work for yourself, you have the opportunity to earn 'non mass' wages.

Get motivated, this guy from Leighton has thousands of mouths to feed, thaousands of families are relying on him to steer the ship. Please do not compare teachers etc to that. He deserves a fair go, if you want to be communists and all earn the same wage, change your voting stance.

Realist
You certainly exposed your bias in that last post.
In Industrial Relations where employer and Employee both work towards mutual benefit there is no comparison with the 'Jack' system.

Dont blame the victims of Corporate greed and drag out the communist bogey for workers who want a fair share of the pie.

If your posts are not the whinge of a bitter,failed capitalist I'll bare my ass in Gowings window.

Failed Capatalist?!

Cheers Mate.

I needed brightening today!

Fair Share of the pie? Well, own a pie in the first place and you can eat it all if you want.

Australia is the lucky country. People come here as imigrants with nothing and create amazing things. People leave home after school with hopes and dreams that they try to fulfil, no matter how small or large they are, and with 2 hands, a heart and a goal they do it.

My best mate had a goal of being a flare bartender. He achieved that, it is not up to me to say if he should do it or not. If it makes him happy, great. If it is his dream, great.

I am not about taking things away from anyone. For the 20th time i am opposed to IR reform. Dont you feel lucky that in Australia if we want more in life, we can get it if we are single minded about it?

Any good employer knows that the engine of the company is its staff, with the CEO/Director merely driving the car. If the engine is top notch, it gets looked after, if it is not performing, changes are made accordingly. That is why IR is bad, employees will be riding business cycles as i have mentioned.

You want pie. I am 24 years old and i have got pie, and started with nothing.

Choices, choices, choices. You want more pie, position yourself to get more pie, or if this pie is not sufficient, choose another pie. Simple.

You get nothing for free, and if you are waiting in your safe existance to be hand fed more as you feel you deserve it, be decisive and ENACT CHANGES. Complaining and making assumtions about failed capatalists is why you are where you are.