You see Anthonyve, there in lies the problem, as you expect a person to survive on the minimum wage, raising a family and ONLY WORKING 38 hr/week.

In the 90's along came the system that allowed one to raise a family, while someone else paid the bill.

So your average min wage earner, with a partner and three kids is quite well off, with TAX FREE welfare, rent assistance, health care card, bulk billing, the list goes on, all paid for by someone else.

When I was a kid, you either gained skills and found a good paying job, or, you resigned yourself to a life of long hours. Now I don't have a problem with that, but no doubt you do.

Nnthe US minimum wage earners often work more than one job and, imdoubt they get taxed half of their second job earnings.

Then there are this who do very well on the min wage, due to tips.

Ifmthey are GREAT AT THEIR JOB , they get reward, not by the system, but by the PAYING CUSTOMER.

Now what's wrong with that I ask!

Rechtub,

See, right there, that's your problem.

You either don't absorb what you're reading or you don't think about it.

Far from advocating that people live on $400/week, I'm saying the EXACT opposite: that this is an example of what happens when workers are forced to fend for themselves against corporations.

Thus you entirely failed to grasp the point.

Now, as to your assertion that maximum wages are the problem. Well, first what is the problem you refer to?

That Australia is not competitive? Blame the AUD for that, not wages.

That we're not competitve?
A close analysis of investment divided by output, which is the measure of competitiveness, shows that the biggest reason why we're not competitive is that mining investment has been spent but the incomes are only now coming on stream. In other words, there is no particular problem with competitiveness.

That we have a a mining tax? Well hardly. The super profit mining tax on oil drilling imposed by the Norwegian government is 75%; has been for years and guess what - the oil companies are still there and they are still highly profitable.

That we have a large national debt? Sorry, our national debt is one of the lowest in the developed world.

That our unemployment is high? Er, sorry, no cigar this time either as our unemployment is among the lowest in the developed world.

So, rechtub, you flood these pages with endless bleats about how awful things are, but you never QUANTITATIVELY define what exactly is wrong.

Meanwhile the hard, measurable data tells us that Australia is doing very well indeed.

SO why not give yourself a break and be happy for once.

Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au

how awful things are, but you never QUANTITATIVELY define what exactly is wrong.
Anthonyve,
Your post paints such a rosy picture , one could say how good things are, but you never QUANTITATIVELY define what exactly is right.

Individual,

You make a very good point.

But here's a counter argument: government legislation hugely influences the extent to which workers are able to take action to defend legitimate positions.

See Work Choices (when in was around),for example, and laws about what constitutes right to strike, etc.

So, if the labour movement doesn't have political representation then the laws would become so stacked against workers that they would have no chance.

This is precisely what has happened in the US, where middle class incomes have fallen steadily for the past thirty years.

Now, if the Right is to be believed then this pattern of falling wages should be making the US more competitive, yet the exact opposite is happening.

So, I argue that the labour movement does need representation at government level to ensure that the ground rules for employer/employee negotiations are fair and reasonable.

We could say that being aligned with a political party is not the best way to achieve that, which may be true.

But how else do we achieve that fair an banaced playing field?

Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au

But how else do we achieve that fair an banaced playing field?
Anthonyve,
A flat tax will provide the most level playing field. Unemployment can be reduced drastically by a national service paid for with the money that's presently wasted on fake social security & associated bureaucracy.

Hi Belly,

I didn't know you were under the weather.

Best wishes for speedy get well.

Recently had a bout of prostate cancer myself, but I'm pleased to say that my PSA seems to be telling me a good story after some less than pleasant treatment.

Cheers,
Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au