Individual,
I get the feeling you've never actually been to another country, let alone got a feel for working comparisons, because how you compare Australia with other places is essentially nonsense.

In no way are Australians bludgers.

In the course of my corporate career, I've run manufacturing operations in Australia, (ABB Transformer factories and FASCO Motors), China (ABB Shanghai Transformer Co) Hong Kong (A division of ABB), and Thailand (Invensys and Fasco Motors (Thailand) Pty Ltd.

I would put Australian workers up against workers anywhere for effort, conscientiousness and commitment to quality.

I found the Australian unions to be extremely cooperative when Lean Enterprise techniques were introduced to the factories.

You and rechtub both seem to think that Australia is in terrible shape and that Australian workers aren't any good, so let me ask you a question.

If Australia is so bad - in your eyes - then which country do you consider to be better? And why? Okay, two questions.

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

Anthonyv it is my sad task , a front row forward from way back to agree with your thoughts here.
Our Indy, in his prime, would never have kept up with me.
It was my joy to try to out work every one.
In QLD off siding then driving cane trains, then 8 more hours driving a truck for plantation owners not on the rail, in then but gone now Walaville Mill.
Never left a job that the boss did not offer me more to stay.
See indy probably never left our his home town, and probably never did a days work in his life.
Following the anti workers diatribes here is telling.

Anthonyve,
Yeah, I know people like you who have been all over the place & gained so much experience yet when back in Australia all that expertise goes out the window. We have engineers who couldn't make enough money to pay for a sandwich if they were to be rewarded for their expertise. It's the just as useless bureaucrats who pay them with our tax dollar. You ask why I think Australia is so bad ? I can't actually recall saying Australia being so bad I do however recall saying that many Australians are bludging too much off the average tax payer. Australia is in danger of being bad & even worse than many other countries because the people have become too blasé. If you don't think there's a lot of bludging going then you're either very corrupt or very blind not to see what's going on. Our tax system alone is based on bludging. Public service benefits are bludger based. It's all about getting as much as possible for as little as possible. Deny that one for a start. Ps you say you're with ABB, well, I have given up on the flow meters.
The second reason for saying these things about Australia is that what we call Australia now is so remote from the Australia of pre Goaf. You are making the same mistake as most other Australians. Just because it still is one of the best places you argue that it is wrong to draw attention to the fact that due to so many selfish & bludging Australians the country has begun sliding more & more towards pleasing the bludgers instead of planning for a sustainable future. It's because of people like you lefties with your wealth of inexperience despite having experience you that we won't be saying g'day mate in 20 years, it'll be assalamualaikum.

Anthonyve, You seem to be new to this forum, and as yet you do not know our fellow poster Mr Individual. I do believe that Mr Individual hails from La La Land, better known as The Deep Deep North, where men are men and sheilas do as they'd told. In this wonderland where the thoughts of the great one, The Mad Katter rain supreme, and the locals pray at the shrine of their gods, Ole Joh and Lady Flo. Every year on the 31st February their National Day (in the Deep Deep North they don't have daylight saving so they save it up and stick it on the end of February) they bake pumpkin scones, naturally to the original Lady Flo recipe. and of course they consume copious quantities of XXXX, beer that is, not condoms. Children are not allowed to consume alcohol in the Deep Deep North, anyone under the age of 7 found with a XXXX, is punished severally indeed, they are made down a box of that southern crap Tooheys Spew, the DDN's recken' it will kill a brown dog, so no worries with the kids!
Anthonyve if you are thinking of visiting The Deep Deep North, I advise be prepared to undertake so serious drinking. if you can't down a XXXX quicker than a local can say "I love Campbell Newman" they will label you a Bob Brown and make you drink charrdy for the rest of your stay.
You ask, what do the locals do when they are not throwing steers, or wrestling crocodiles. they do wheelies in their unregistered ute, of course, with 5 in the back. and it goes without saying an esky full of XXXX, with Indi at the wheel.
p/s To visit The Deep Deep North, you wont need a visa, just a copy of the ranting of Chairman Joh, that will get you in, I'm sure.

Anton, at no point in his thread have I said Australian workers are poor workers, And as for which country is better than Auss, may I remind you that simply being better than the rest does not make you good.

What I do think that if not for work choices, chances are labor would not have been voted in, our borders would be secure and I seriously doubt the amount of VERY COSTLY stuff ups would have occurred.

Let's face it, everyone's entitled to make a mistake, but every thing they have touched they have stuffed up.

I puzzles me how the unions can see no wrong in what this mob have done to us in just five years.

Paul1405,
i'll let you think of a description of yourself because I can't be bothered looking into the depths of thesauruses for an apt term.
Bob katter's mongrel dog has more sense than you'll ever muster.