As a dysfunctional Australian worker/unionist I worked mostly for the money.
Damn, did not want to say that it was not love of the job!
Such as brick yards oh, a host of things once started can not stop.
And shift work, permanent shift work is needed.
Now that always bought a premium, not penalty rates but a loading, the extra money bought to kids a few extras and some times a home was possible.
We are not a world committed to 8 hours days.
Shopping is 24 hours life is 24 hours , its good however to see one of my old Battle cry in use.
John Winston Howard, thought any penalty for all of us working weekends was wrong.
I went to the last weekend party.
Shut down the shopping malls if you wish but the people who do open will increase turnover, yabby one day WA will get weekend trading people want it ,it is not harming kids or family's.
If you want the extra money be prepared to earn it.
If you want to kill industry's that feed on our 24 hour lifestyle you waste your time,we arer now an international living country not the backward one we once had been.

There has always been shiftworkers the difference is that we have now become 'working families' and stay-at-home options are limited depending on your income. Many kids are in child care from babyhood and then become latch key kids from a young age.

We have also in recent times, handed over our retirement security to the private sector, making it even more difficult for people to stray beyond the one-size-fits-all mindset.

The reason we have seven day trading now is to support those cultural changes that sees more people at work now between Mon-Fri to allow time for shopping and other services that could once be accessed more easily during the week.

Times do change but not always for the better and the emphasis on consumerism, productivity and growth at the expense of other indicators of wellbeing is the problem IMO.

And yes the shareholder mentality is part of that mindset but much of it is illusion unless you are a major shareholder with only lip service paid to shareholder power including the fact that you can have your shares forcibly taken (Compulusory Acquisitions) during company buy outs once 90% of all other shares have been sold (even if by doing so you lose money).

Without digressing too much, rehctub the fact is we do live in a different world and as such things that used to be 'normal' are no longer thus, but I have lived in countries and other states where there was no 7-day trading and any cornerstores that opened were naturally more expensive to cover penalty rates as is only fair.

I was wondering if retail staff are known for having dysfunctional families or something. Does opening 7 days mean everyone usually works 7 days? Two parents working 7 days a week would make anyone wonder why they bothered having children.

If Malls are open does it mean each family shops 7 days a week? It did make it less stressful for many to get to the shops at less busy family time. 24 hour shops were even better.

Easter Monday was classic… people waiting for those shop doors to open. I guessed that was for supercheap easter eggs, I don’t know how they do it, if I saw any more chocolate come Monday I probably would have upchucked.

Do we still commonly have latchkey kids Pelican? It’s something I haven’t thought about in a long time.

I think Rechtubs view of a dysfunctional family would be different than mine.
My idea would be of mostly but not exclusively unemployed maybe those who over indulge in drink or drugs.
Do not scream at me, those who have both parents working are usually trying to get ahead and have good support in place for time with the kids.

A classical EG of what the system holds:) "dysfunctional families" I wonder what systems brought that about:) Winners and looser's......RIGHT!.........isn't that the norm?

Keep typing...........No rich and No poor is winning all the time.

:) FBI....I have my own words for that:)...S..F..BRIANS:)

LEAP

Is that why most kids between the ages of 15yrs - 25yrs pop pills most weekends prior to going out, in city night venues and concerts Belly or write themselves off most weekends, attacking police at any opportunity?

Why would kids feel the need to regularly pop pills on top of consuming alcohol weekly? Why do they feel the need to be spaced out or on a high every time they face a crowd?

Why the high rate of suicides over the past 20 years (with kids becoming younger and younger daily)taking their lives? Often over an issue such as 'breaking up' with a teenage girl or boy? Every city and town affected by someone they have known and the higher rate.

Many parents, particularly those working 7am - 7pm for most of their lives (both adults working those hours)with children they communicate with for only an hour daily, experience major problemos later with their teenagers and young adult children.

I have witnessed this in many families.

An odd weekend and/or four weeks annual leave do not 'make up' for all of those years/time lost while kids are growing up, never to be repeated.