SM is good at coming up with news that no one else has heard of. Probably from his favorite News paper that no one else reads.

Hi Aidan & 579,

Yes, you're probably right, au pairs probably have it pretty easy. They might have to do a bit of work seven days a week, but apart from the early morning rises to get breakfast on, and then a little bit of cleaning up, washing, making beds, vacuuming, and so on, they would be free most of the day until the time to prepare dinner, for vthe odd dinner party with a dozen guests, and then clean up afterwards.

As a bloke, I can't see that totalling much more than four or five hours a day. So in total, they probably only put in thirty hours or even less. The rest of the time, while they're waiting, they can sit on Dr. di Natale's verandah looking out at the Otways and enjoying life.

And on top of all that, they get $150 to do absolutely what they like with, to squander it on fripperies and little nothings when they can get into town. How much better could life get ?

Cheers,

Joe

The real point is that according Australian labor laws, the accommodation and meals are a condition of service, and cannot be deducted from the wages. The minimum wage for casual work is about $22 /hr with an assumption that there is a 38hr week ($800 /wk) unless specifically contracted and hours are recorded.

That this is regularly flaunted does not mean that this is legal, and Dinner Tally's argument that this is common practise is specious given the insistence of the Green Labor and the unions of rigorously applying minimum wages without exception. Dinner Tally happily ignored the law when it was convenient for him, and thus is a hypocrite.

As a youngster I went picking fruit, and sometimes at remote locations stayed with the farmer for a few days (in somewhat rough accommodations) and were fed, and paid the casual wage without deductions. I would imagine that Dinner Tally living on a farm would make it impossible for a casual nanny to commute to work, making accommodation a condition of service.

Hi SM,

Okay, let's suppose you're right, that out in the Otways, accommodation for a nanny would be mandatory, since she can't very well commute backwards and forwards even from Geelong. But that still means that she would be provided with food, and access to facilities, as well as that $ 150, every single week.

You might also suggest that she would be working on weekends - in fact, she may be particularly busy on weekends - and all in for $ 150, which probably includes payment at weekend penalty rates. So her rates are probably something like $ 18 per day through the week and $ 30 per day on weekends. Superficially this looks like the equivalent of an hour's pay each day, but we need to look more closely at the realities. Tax-free by the way.

We have to remember that these wages are far higher than they would be in almost any Third World country for women from other Third World countries. So Bill Leak's cartoon in today's Australian is quite inaccurate in assuming that an au pair would be from Northern Europe. As well, she would be most likely to speak fairly good English. But what can you expect from the Murdoch-gutter-big-end-of-town press ?

Once the Greens win Batman, Fremantle, Brisbane and Grayndler, we will see a new day for au pairs, nannies, domestic servants and governesses, when they will have more secure 24/7/365 employment available for them in inner-city suburbs, at the equivalent of pretty decent wages, and in accordance with their needs and English-language skills, to give them a lift out of Third World poverty.

Joe

LM,

If the au pairs were in the 3rd world, food and accommodation would would be dirt cheap, and you are kidding yourself if you think 4hrs would be the limit of an au pair's duties for a day. I noticed that in the ad there was no mention of 25hrs, and I doubt that a young girl is just dying to kick back and look at a rural farm.

As mentioned before, the rate of $150/wk well below the average paid for au pairs, and a tiny fraction of the rate paid for a nanny. The minimum wage rates for a casual $21.60 /hr and much higher after hours. By any means Dinner Tally was a skinflint, and probably worse.

It is interesting that Dinner Tally is a worse employer than any conservative.

Hi SM,

Sorry, I can't write any more on this subject, I've been threatened with sarcasm fines from Murdoch and Griffith Universities. And banned from the ARSE (Australian Registered Satirists' Enterprise) for failing the subtlety tests.

Cheers,

Joe