the Labour party knows that one of its main financiers and recruiting grounds (unions) would be out of business very quickly if commonsense prevailed. As simple as that.

SM
Premature Easter gardening I see....spreading old BS.

Runner
So that people didn't work on god's day? You are right runner there is nothing simpler that slavery.
All
If Companies move to poor countries where they can dictate appalling rates, conditions, and corporations buy from these exploited workers. You can believe that given the opotunity to cut rate here they would.

However, the problem with unions is the same once their intitial reason to exist is fulfilled they need to keep pushing the boundaries to exist.

Rstuart is right it is a far more complex than SM& runner would have it. Maxim, If it looks simple when people are involved, then 1 of 2 scenarios apply.
1- you're asking the wrong question.
2- You're kidding yourself.

I am not suggesting anyone should be forced to work without penilty rates. All I am saying is, if an employee wants to work extra hours and, the employer is willing to give those hours, at normal rates, then why can't this happen. After all, the hours go to someone, why not the loyal employee who works there full time every week.

After all, anyone in the hospitality or retail sector struggles to make ends meet on the regular 9-5, 38 hours per week.

Of cause we all know it already happens in many cases, it's just that it is 'uner the table' stuff. Cash money, which, when you think about it, is depriving the every day tax payer. The less one pays in taxes, the more others have to.

Now by all means, let the unions go in to bat for those who are being forced into a corner, but why can't they just leave those alone who are happy with their arrangements.

*It's taken us this long to gain our excellent
working conditions in this country - we're the envy
of the US and other countries. We don't want to lose
what we have.*

Ah Foxy, but you have a little problem there. For every
job that is created, somebody has to invest to create it.
Things are so good for employees in Australia, that the
place is destined to be little then a mine and a farm.
Entrepreneurs in most other industries, will look at
those great working conditions and go somewhere else.

Australia rode on the sheep's back for years, eventually
the old sheep collapsed. Now its on the back of iron ore
and coal. That is fine whilst China booms, but if China
sneezes, things might well change quite quickly.

So thank your lucky stars that your great lifestyle is
bankrolled by globally efficient industries. For most
of Australia, exists by sucking on their teats. If they
land up in trouble, what will you fall back on?

Yabby, not quite true old mate.
AWAs under Howard often by over sea,s firms had no union involvement.
And little workers, often nil,
Yet wages in mining set by bosses are very good.
People employ people to make money, not for social benefit.
And we must stop confusing our fears about unions/wages/workers/ employers are driven by self interest.
So very often ,many , understand that is best served by looking after an asset workers .
Even today, construction contractors, international giant firms, want only Greenfield's agreements.
I dislike them.
But have no choice.
Firms invite unions to sit down, before workers are employed for a project, with no worker input, and do an agreement for that project.
The very best firm, owned over seas but having a great Australian name, has without in put from unions, offered 5% a year increase each of 3 years.
So we do have different things happening, but lets not forget workers are hired to make profit for employers not gifted with jobs.

Belly, Yabby os right on the money, yet, the likes of you simply can't, or won't accept it.

You say>> but lets not forget workers are hired to make profit for employers not gifted with jobs.

What a load!

Many workers today only have a job because of the mining boom, as many 'top notch' workers have been lured to these lucritive mining jobs, meaning the vacancies left have to be filled, often by underachievers or low grade/skilled workers.

Without such a boom, many of these so called 'employees' would be jobless as a vast majority of them are either 'useless' or are simply turning up knowing they are needed because many employers have little option other than to hire them. Often it becomes a 'best of the worst' senario.

Cast your mind back to the late 90's. Many tradesmen couldn't get work, mainly becasue they were USELESS! Since the mining boom began, many of them have plenty of work, drive nice trucks and have a life.

Why, the mining boom!

Proof of this is evident in the amount of training organisations that have popped up so that workers can be constantly trained in trivial matters.

Even the trainers themselves are often useless, but those organisations are faced with the same problems, best of the worst.

Foxy, I am not talking about erroding pay rates, or saving something we have faught so hard to achieve, rather, I am talking about when a worker wants to work more hours and an employer wants that staff member to work those hours, outside intervention gets in the way so both parties loose.

The end result, these paid hours often go underground.

There are people quite happy to work 9-5 38 hrs per week and good on them, I have no beef with that, but there are also people wanting to work more hours, in the same job and they can't, because the likes of you lot have to become involved to determine their fait.

Why can't you lot just protect the ones who want protecting and leave the others alone.

WHY?