It is my understanding that China gets a contract, then builds a factory to fulfill that order, then builds a city around that factory to house the workers.

The problem is that once the GFC hit hard, the contracts dried up, the factories closed and the people left.

The future problem looming for China, and us, is that the new generation of chinese no longer want to be chinese.

They want to live like we do, and who can blame them.

The want cars, TV's and holidays, along with workers rights and entitlements.

The simple fact is that the world can't afford all these luxuries, because once we can't afford to buy from China, and we can't afford to manufacture here, then what.

The reality is that Australia has set a very dangerous bench mark for wages and conditions and the rest of the world is watching.

A 10% growth rate means the Chinese economy will double in seven years.
There is not the energy supplies and all the other needs of an economy
growing at that rate.
Therefore, the economy must either stall, contract or collapse.
No alternative, it will happen. No way around it, it is just simple
arithmetic.

Rechtub, are you prepared to back up your statement.
I doubt you understand but market forces drive wages not in any way unions.
If you had your wish, turned your staff in to serfs they would go to other butchers or find other work.
The fallacy that union thuggery drives wages can not be supported.
Under fair work Australia, and Work choices, a union can only strike at award or wage negotiation time, no other time.
And only if true honest two sided talks are not possible.
Right now, big miners are activly head hunting skilled workers and even laborers offering high wages.
Until fair work came about in WA the big wages came from totally nonunion firms.
China is intent on growing, it will continue to,its rate has nothing to do with our wage structure.
And finally but a waste of my time, if we cut wages to please such bas you, by 40% say, surely our whole economy, your shops too would shrink by that amount.
Is it not clear the mining boom is not running a chain of QLD butcher shops but wage earners.
Finally do you think meat should only be for high income earners.

Belly there are two major problems with wages here.

1. They are becoming to high for small businesses to afford to continue and the owners will sooner or later stop taking the risks as the gains are quickly fading.

2. They are becoming to low to live on.

Now if the likes of China introduces anything like the wages and conditions we have, then they will not be able to produce the cheap goods that allow us to enjoy the lifestyles we do.

Like it or not, we have the highest wages for the average worker.

We have already lost our manufactring and aguculture, tourism and perhaps our car industries are on their way out.

No amount of unuion intervention can protect jobs when there are no small employers left.

Sorry butch the subject you are trying to debate requires far more understanding than you possess.
First cost of living prices of goods and services in every country must be compared to true average income, wages.
Measuring our wages against Chinas, or for that matter any other country is plain useless.
Now conservatives, and yes my mob too think markets should as much as possible be allowed to set its own levels.
Surely if I put it in simple terms you too will be forced to agree no other way works.
You need to buy your meat at about the same rate as your competitors,sell it at about the same Mark up or sell more, ok so far.
If it costs you more to sell you will suffer but if less you will do ok.
Who buys your meat if living standards drop by that 40% at what rate of profit, dare you say wages should not be measured by the same market rates that rule your profits?
In my last job two mates both butchers both chain store ones asked me to help them get jobs, not enough pay.
Both hold lolly pops controlling traffic, not joking casual and happy with extra income.
For you mate, after Broncos dropped the bundle I can do the same.
However may have to take a lessor rate, lot of ex butchers in the game now so how about 10% under award ok with you?
Profit is in my view a result of turn over price consumers can pay cut wages cut profit.
Unless I know nothing your prices and profits are a result of the money consumers have in their pockets ,wages

Belly, I am not suggesting that we drop wages, however, what I am suggesting is that if the likes of China increases wages, to anything like we pay, it will be 'game over' for all as our entire economy now relies on cheap imports.

I can remember a time when it cost $100 to get your drill fixed. Now it cost $40 for a brand new drill.

Small business profits have been errodded, just the way that disposable income for workers has been. Trouble is, SB, being the back bone of the nation will simply fail once the worker gets almost as much as the employer and believe me when I tell you that the gap is closing and fast.

It used to be that the owner would make about twice to three times the amount paid out in wages.

3 staff @ $1,000, $3,000 net to the owner. A good return on investment, considering they take all the risk.

Nowdays, you are lucky to make dollar for dollar returns and that's where the problem lies.

You see the worker gets paid to be there, but the owner only gets paid if a profit is made.

It cost the owner the same amount in wages to make 5 coffes and hour as it does to make 25.

The way of the future for SB may well be in 'partnership arrangements', whereby workers 'buy their jobs'.

These are known as 'non voting shares'.

The jobs will then go to the 'shareholders' before any outsider gets a go.

They will share the risks and the profits. It will also weed out those who don't care about the job, just the money.

Watch this space.