Foxy, "I was speaking on behalf of my husband's personal experiences as an architect"

If your spouse could speak for himself he might care to outline exactly how an architect comes to be negotiating with the CFMEU or other unions on a construction site. Especially since he is now vouching for them.

otb,

My husband apart from being a qualified architect,
Designer, and Town Planner, also undertook the
extended role of Project and Construction Manager
on multi-million dollar projects both in Australia and
overseas. It is obvious to him that you otb - don't
have a clue about the construction industry apart from
what the Liberal Propaganda preaches.

Enough said.

Somehow I very much doubt that, Foxy.

Your defence of the CFMEU is remarkable to say the least. I reckon you are putting words in your spouse's mouth because your Googling cannot find anything positive about the subject union and its gutless bosses who would put men out of work just to flex their muscles.

I am sure there are honest people in the building & construction industries Foxy, but they are pretty thin on the ground.

There would be no slush funds for crooked lawyers to set up, if there was no under the table money pouring into union management coffers.

Far too many union officials become rich beyond any possibility of their salary income, for anyone to really believe the system is not rotten to the core.

Just what the hell our law system is doing, when unionists are allowed secondary boycott type picketing of sites I can't imagine. Preventing legitimate access to sights should be punished by some years in prison, followed by exclusion from the industry. Letting them get away with this stuff is pure anarchy.

We have seen from the various posts on this
forum that people in different walks of life
will interpret the same phenomenon - whether it
is a Prime Minister's policies, a religious
doctrine, or the behaviour ot big business and
union action in very different ways. As I've
stated in the past - people tend to see the world
from a viewpoint of subjectivity - an interpretation
based on personal values, and above all - their
experiences.

I shall repeat what I've cited previously:

I'm a member of a union, but I've never been put in
a position where I've had to go out on strike. And
although I'm sometimes frustrated when the union
does its job badly, I support without reservation
the right of all working people to join together so as
to preserve and protect their livelihoods.

Of course, unions need to be more sensitive to the
realities of modern economic conditions. Sectarian attitudes
and greed serve the cause of labour badly. But the fact
is that Australia's strike record has been improving in
recent years and according to current stats has now fallen
to the approx. figure of two hours per worker per year
that's lost due to industrial activity.

Still, we are in critical times and Australia requires
a re-assessment of the relationship between labour and capital,
a re-assessment which takes into account the politics of
industrial democracy, profit and job sharing, and long-term
planning which allows for the proper protection and
preservation of worker's jobs.

What we don't need is the
"kick-the-worker-today-and-take-the-money-tomorrow,"
attitudes. Business should not have the
right to get whatever it wants at the expense of workers.

The only way in which the country can work properly is for
management and labour to co-operate with one another, not
condemn one another. But the sad truth - as can be seen from
this discussion is that condemnation is the only language
that some people appear to understand. Obviously the
inevitable expansion of capital with its attendant social
inequality and natural destruction brooks no interference and
allows for no moral judgements.

I'm done here

cont'd ...

I forgot to add that it's the incompetence of management
dealing with unions that is responsible for union actions.
Those that take the time to sit down, discuss, and negotiate
grievances - don't have problems. But obviously some people
just don't want to understand that. Condemnation is the
easier option.