Well, unless you work for a tax payer funded organisation, or you have been living under a rock, you will be aware of just how tough many small retail businesses are doing it right now.

While I accept how tough it is for people to meet with their living expenses, that's not the fault of the employer and, with the advancement of automation in the workforce these days, I fear we have put more pressure on finding ways to cut staff numbers.

Of cause, once introduced there is no turning back from automation. As just a small example, take a walk through your local Coles/Woolies and you will note something missing in the meat department, staff.

You see these guys have switched over to what is know in the industry as 'Case Ready', which most meats are now in 'Map Packs' (tightly sealed vacume packs dowsed with CO2) and the majority of these are machine cut and packed, eliminating thousands of butchers and meat packers from their workforces, and this is just one small example.

So of cause the unions want you to receive a pay rise, because so long as they can pick a fight, they retain their jobs, often at the cost of others.

So the dog continues to chase its tail and few can see the big picture, other than allowing people to maintain their $45 per litre late' or $8 eggs. I just don't get the logic, by all means share in the profits, but don't add to the losses just for the sake of it.

If people want more money, find more work as there are literally hundreds of jobs that could be done, but they are mostly done by back packers, simply because our people won't lower themselves. Alternatively they can cut their spending habits, even buy raw foods and prepare meals from scratch as opposed to the highly priced prepared foods many buy today.

Well, one day we may have to do just that, take what you can get because the likes of small retail can't afford this latest hit.

It is about time some of these small business call it a day. We are grossly over catered for. Only the strongest can survive.
It will not effect unemployment as half of these businesses are being subsidized by govt; now.
The working day is supposed to be 8 hours not 16 butch. Your system would never work and never will.
The more the worker is devoid of money the more small business loose out. Time for rationalization.

Dear rehctub,

I used to get all of our family's meat from a butcher.
The quality of the meat was always excellent, and the
butcher was always able to advise me on what cuts to
buy for the meal that I was cooking. He never failed me.

When we moved house - there wasn't a butcher close by
so I began going to Woollies or Coles. And after a while
I did notice the lack of staff in their meat departments.
It was disappointing - that I could not longer ask for
what I wanted.

Anyway, to make a long story short. Last week - I was
having my grand daughter for a day - so I found a
butcher shop and bought some home-made beef and pork
(combined) sausages for her for lunch. She loves
sausages. Rehctub, what a revelation. They were glorious.
I bought enough sausages to give to my daughter in-law
to take home, and enough for us to eat that night as well.

The taste was out of this world compared to the commercial
stuff we get from the supermarkets. My grand-daughter
loved the meal that I had prepared. And who can blame her.
What a difference a fresh product made.

I'm going back to the butchers for my meat from now on.
It's well worth the longer trip. What a difference in taste.

Wage rises are a reliable indicator of price rises to follow-back to square one & back to out-pricing on international competitiveness. More inflation movig up on the horizon. Financial experts doing their thing again dragging us further away from exporting revenue.
China & India must be laughing their head off.

rehctub Quote "If people want more money, find more work"

To me that in most circumstances is a stupid statement, so you are saying to people go give up more of your time to be slaves to the system.

The problem is from the top down we have the highest paid world leader of OECD counties, a post office boss who was getting over $5 million dollars per year, now take lawyers fees, doctors fees, fees for child care just to name a few are all out of reach to the most of people.

Too me most people do not live they exist they get up in the morning go to work come home some have a few hours relaxing go to sleep then the whole process starts again, that is not living that is a slave to the bankers and others.

After that they die, what have they lived for in so many cases nothing.

Of course that does not apply to everyone but it applies to too many.

Not to be taken literally but someone said.
Live today like you are going to die tomorrow, Learn new thing like you are going to live forever.

Rechtub posts like this remind me why I live and die an ALP voter, to both say the poorest of us hurt the economy by getting a wage rise, and mostly from the same people tax cuts for the very well off are needed? not every one has been poor, very very poor,how would a single income home on less than $800 a week pay rent and live in say Sydney? are the very poor working class disposable humans? is it not true every cent they earn they spend as consumers?