Paul I will not need to tell you, but will be branded lefty fool by others for a truth.
A worker is no less a product for sale than the fruit in a green grocers shop.
And if the price is wrong no sale takes place.
A boss buys workers to advance his out put/profit if the worker he wants has skills he needs but is paid more by his present boss?
He not a Union not the worker, often offers more pay.
IF he for any reason including poor price quoting finds he needs to cut costs he may or may not cut workers.
The next boss may head hunt his workers it takes place.
We are served by far more poor performing middle managers than workers in this country.
HIGH WAGES? heads of our biggest firms, board members earn up to millions not hundreds why not focus on them?

Indi, by paying the sweeper a liveable wage for himself and his dependents it actually help oil the wheels of business. The sweeper is part of the consumer mass which the elite, like the animal chopper, need to exist. Its all part of the sustainability of our society. In the average "butcher shop" the majority of customers are the "sweepers" they are the very people the elite rely upon to make their business function. Without these consumers the animal chopper would end up cutting his own throat.
"Too many people do not offer anything of value in return for their pay"
Would the professional golfer fit into that category? Some peoples productivity is obvious, but others is a little less obvious. the person who's job is fortune telling, is that productive, a singer, can't be as productive as a brick layer? But all form an integral part of society. Medicine, very important, but how much do you pay the nurse compared to the doctor? Can't simply rely on market forces to come up with the answer, then those in a powerful position would make disproportionate claims on the economy.

"A worker is no less a product for sale than the fruit in a green grocers shop.
And if the price is wrong no sale takes place."
Belly, in a totally free market that would be the case. You would find the small elite would be extremely well off in comparison to the vast majority. Does that sound familiar, just like 19th century England. No need for industrial laws at all, for example a thing like safety would simply be determined by what the worker is prepared to do. Does that sound familiar, just like India today.
Even the Conservatives relise the need for intervention to facilitate a degree of fairness. Intervention makes for a better society, and actually help the elite as well as the majority.

People have been arguing this one forever.
The way things go in real life is that when the economy is booming and
jobs are easy to get then the sweeper can get more money for the job.
When things turn down, like now, there are more people prepared to do
the job and because things have turned down the boss of a parts manufacturer
might have less money available.

To give it a current feel, an ex Holden process worker being pressed
by the bank over his mortgage, might well be happy to take the sweeping
job, if the sweeper refused to accept a lower wage.

One way or another the sweeping has to be done.
It times gone by, in most workshops the apprentices got the job of
sweeping up and did not feel put upon, it just had to be done.

This is what is meant by flexibility in the workplace and it is a survival technique.
The sooner that lesson is learnt the better off we will all be.

Yes well, the alternative is we can continue to pay the highest minimum wage in the world and go down the gurgler, it's our choice.

BTW, a cow cutter earns less per hour than a stop go attendant. Work that one out.

Most butchers work at least 60 hours per week to make a good wage.

In years gone by 70+ hours were common.

Paul we are fishing in a very dry creek here.
Even the father of the current Liberal party Menzies supported a living wage and a workers right to be in a Union.
He too supported Arbitration, the workers right to have his/her claim Arbitrated.
Minimum wage is now set by a board not much different than the one Howard used,but less likely to devalue that wage.Very few if any who earn that wage are union members.
But the ACTU runs its annual case in the name of fair go mate.
Those opposed to the current level will scream blue murder if I point out the truth.
By wanting us to follow other country,s we introduce a working poor who have little chance of buying the things we all want.
Most Australians remain convinced we are better than that.