I'm paraphrasing someone else here and cannot give them due credit, because I forget who it was.

When the economy is booming, there is concern every time that low paid workers get a pay rise, because it may raise interest rates.

When the economy is lagging, there is concern every time that low paid workers get a pay rise, because it may raise unemployment.

It is hard to imagine any conditions under which these workers could get a pay rise without some people complaining. The same people always seem to have a good reason why they deserve a pay rise.

Belly, if you think our tiny population is going to make any real difference, to the big picture, then think again.

As I have said before, with fewer of us working and paying 'positive taxes' as each generation goes on, our future lies outside of our own shores and, it is these customers that are most at risk when you make our businesses anti competetive.

I saw a story a while ago about an 'IT' company outsourcing work to Signapore.

Now for the cost of one exec staff member here, this guy was able to hire an entire office of staff over there, on call, 7 days a week.

Now I axcept that we can't compete with that, but, I often wonder how many of the labels found on Australian made products are actually still designed and printed here. Food for thought hey. Remember, there was a time when the answer to this would have been 100%.

All I am saying is that increasing wages simply because people are 'doing it tough' is not a long term solution, but rather, a short term fix. For some!

Now as for my comment on employing women, sorry if I offended, but, it is simply yet another potential disruption to business that many, not just me, will look to avoid.

Just watch the numbers over the next year or two and we will see wether I have a point.

I understand your point, rehctub: that increases in pays for low income earners may make jobs difficult to sustain. What's the solution, though?

The reality is that the cost of living (in my case, anyway) has risen by more than $26.00 a week over the past 12 months alone.

Working on actual figures (rounded down) from my cashbook:

$20.00 a week more for rent
$6.00 a week more for petrol
$5.00 a week more for electricity (representing a 50% increase over 12 months)
$2.00 a week more for private health cover (a luxury, I know)

Groceries are difficult to track as they fluctuate so much - but the up-trends usually outweigh the down-trends. Even without groceries, though, that's an increase of $33.00 per week. I'm not a low income earner, but I still do it tough. The reality is that these people aren't getting a rise for the sake of a rise - they are getting a rise so their quality of life doesn't backslide as much as it otherwise would.

What, then, is the solution? The payrise is certainly a band-aid, and one that perpetuates the problem. But I don't see an alternative at this point in time.

Rechtub: an employee working in a butcher's shop paid a percentage of the profits??

There are far too many disadvantages unfairness and negatives for employees if this became the reality and I daresay your employees would not be turning up for work to perform the hard tasks of slaughtering and preparing the meat in order to market, during the quiet weeks.

Over the last decades I've worked as an employee, as a Contractor and also as a Pty Ltd Company.

The biggest difference I found was that there were very significant tax advantages that were simply unavailable to me as an employee.

The other thing I noticed was how many employers see their staff as a financial liability instead of an asset and treat them accordingly.

As much as some employers would like to go back to the days of slavery, if your customers don't get paid enough money how can they afford to buy what you're selling?

You and I are very different people rechtub.
I could never think like you do.
However I truly discount much of what you say.
Surely you do not understand just what you say?
Australian capitalism is different than say American.
Some want to pretend it is not so but we have and both sides support safety nets.
Health education welfare the list is not short.
Yes different subject but some miss use it, some squander it,some hide behind it and make little effort to self support, not all or most some.
From federation we have made changes that still support our system.
We, most of us, want it that way, that $26 is oil it remains only fleetingly in those pockets it buys snags in you shop it buys school books it is spent.
rechtub can you truly be so focused on middle class wealth you blind your self to the reality's of commerce.
I am glad bloke not to think like you, you get a board of your own in my room.
On election night and before I am using your thread as evidence some conservatives truly are wanting a rich mans Australia.
PS I remove names but not words from posts.