Yabby
Yes thats true regarding meat works. In the old days the crew would travel through Australia and then over to Nz and return in time to start the busy season back in Australia all over again.

However we are sending far more meat overseas now.
We have enough work to go around the clock and then some.

There are many new methods with crops that need to be taken a bit more on board by some of the farmers I agree.

However those involved in stock have a wealth of knowledge and should be teaching their skills while we are still lucky enough to have them.

All our meat should be leaving the country in a box so we keep the jobs in Australia.
WE need to be establishing free range farms for all sorts of products not just beef and cattle throughout the regional areas.

It could be established through a franchise for want of a better term with education annd experienced stock men such as those wise old farmers who should be well paid.

Heaps of small free range piggeries and poultry farms to provide the people moving into regional areas with an alternative income.

Plenty of cruelty free disease free meat. How else are these people going to support themselves and their familes.

With the rate people are leaving the city and moving to regional areas if we dont do something the majority of Australia will end up on centerlink.

We need now more than ever to start programes to give farmers more outlets at better prices to sell their stock and this can only bedone by re establishing our abattoirs in regional areas to get the country towns going again.

Yes we need to be able to bring in trained meat workers thats for sure.

As for saying Aussies dont want work in abattoirs its true not everybody wants to be on the kill floor because its not nice and hard work.
However many will want work as a plumer electrian packer driver corner store operator cleaner etc
Abattoirs create all those jobs.

"All our meat should be leaving the country in a box so we keep the jobs in Australia."

Pale, if Aussies don't want the jobs, then they cannot be forced
to take them. Fact is that Aussies have it so good, that they
can pick and choose not to do certain jobs. Working in the
meat industry seems to be one of them.

Fact is, that if there is drought, you need extra staff to cope,
or animals will die in the paddocks. That kind of flexibility in
the meat industry labour situation, would solve a great deal of
problems regarding drought, subsidies etc. If farmers wait until
the condition of their stock is poor, even meatworks won't want
them, only a bullet will put them out of their misery, so its
a lose lose situation.

You can talk about all this value adding of skins etc, fact is
nearly all of them are sent to China for processing now. Our
costs here are simply not competitive and workers don't want those
kinds of jobs anymore.

Last week the price of lambs in the ES dropped 20$, due to no
rain. Processors pointed out that they were a business, not
a charity, so if they can get away with paying less, they will.

Luckily the live trade is there to underpin the market to some
degree and keep them honest! Take that away and farmers would
be slaughtered in the marketplace by greedy processors.

Yabbs Said
Pale, if Aussies don't want the jobs, then they cannot be forced
to take them.

PALE REPLIES
Oh so now the defense is Aussies are lazy.
While I [in part agree] that’s where our Countries Leaders Come in isn’t It.
Not all jobs are on kill room floors. If you’re offered a job in a plant and refuse to work you should NOT get Centrelink!

YABBY SAID
Fact is, that if there is drought, you need extra staff to cope,
or animals will die in the paddocks.

PALE REPLIES

Oh for Goodness sake Yabby how do you think our fathers and Grandfather survived?

It’s called Management and good farming and stockmen/
.
YABBY SAID
fact is
nearly all of them are sent to China for processing now

PALE REPLIES
Oh My God Can You Hear Yourself? How Clever is that for Australia? We send our jobs off and rely on IMPORTS!
Can you see what’s going to happen to Australia? Ever heard of the word SANCTION YABBY?
They call this the clever country. Nothing clever about:’ relying” on imports.
No "real" Aussie agrees with us running the country like this. Oh Yeh Sure some of the farmers have been left with no where else to go because of the Governments miss management the poor buggers have been backed into a corner. Unlike some I don’t blame the Farmers. I Blame the Government!

Yabby said
Last week the price of lambs in the ES dropped 20$, due to no
rain

PALE REPLIES
Yep – That’s because we are not slaughtering at a steady rate and freezing so we can export in boxes at a steady high demand.

NO reason farmers can’t open plants and sell shares in their companies to suppliers. Take away the Live Export AGENT and tell the meat importer to co-join “direct with farmers”
Take out the cruel middle man
That’s the answer Yabby.

But the Government wont let our meat workers in will they Yabby?
I am sure you know why.
Or Don’t You?

Country girl I emailed you.

Pale, you still don't understand that modern economics is not totally
focussed around your pet hobbyhorse. Govts are not dictatorships
either.

Unemployment here in the West is down to around 3%. What remains
is largely unemployable. You can't go forcing drug addicts, sky
high on ice etc, onto meat chain and put a knife in their hands.

Some of these people have psychiatric problems etc, again not suitable
for a meat chain. In fact, if you've ever been an employer, its
pretty hopeless employing anyone who simply does not want to be
there. Its bad enough now in the meatworks. Sometimes 20%
won't turn up on a Monday, time for a sickie. More automation
plus overseas workers who appreciate a job, is where it has to
go.

But it won't happen right now, as the meatworkers union are the
loudest screamers and the libs won't do anything that rocks the
boat before an election. So its a stalemate. We'll see, after the
elections, how things are then.

Our grandfathers and fathers survived, as they did not expect
life on a plate, as people do now. When did you last work on
a meatchain?

We send the jobs overseas that we arn't good at Pale. Meantime
the mining industry is screaming for people, for fantastic money.
Farming can't compete with that, thats the reality.

You will never slaughter at a steady rate, whilst you have variable
weather. Grain feeding things like mutton, which is worth little
more then fertiliser per tonne, is simply not a viable option.
So the best option is variable labour supply, where overseas
workers can earn here in a month, what they earn in a year back
home. Thats better then sending them development aid money,
as its a win win situation for all.

Yabbs Said

Pale, Govts are not dictatorships
either.
PALE Replies
Umm really- Costellos new act is then? To stop freedom of Speech?
-
Yabby Said
You can't go forcing drug addicts, sky
high on ice etc, onto meat chain and put a knife in their hands.

PALE Replies
Thanks You have just given me a wonderful idea for rehab programes! Many jobs are making carboard boxes and packing.
The Government can establish rehabilitation shelters and goals near the plants.

Dr Yabby said
Some of these people have psychiatric problems

PALE replies

Too bad because they NEED to be got off their bums, drugs and "centerlink" and be forced to work doing "something". They are bleeding the nation.

Yabby said
More automation
plus overseas workers who appreciate a job.

PALE Replies
Yep - Bring in our trained workers just like every other indusrty is able to. Huh! and you claim Government are not dictators!

Yabby said
meatworkers union are the
loudest screamers.

PALE replies
Hello I cant HEAR the AMIEU - Can You? Yabby let me "assure you" the Meat union were TOLD to BACK OFF LIVE ANIMALS EXPORTS SOME TIME AGO.
Isnt that right ALP Mr Rudd?


Yabby Said-

So its a stalemate. We'll see, after the
elections, how things are then.
Our grandfathers and fathers survived, as they did not expect
life on a plate, as people do now.
PALE replies
Its our duty to get this country back on track. Why should the Animals suffer because WE cant sort out little junkies.

Yabbs said
You will never slaughter at a steady rate, whilst you have variable
weather.

PALE replies

Yes you will its called organisation, management and less greed from the middle man. Because there `wont be` any middle men.
Do you know why Yabby?
Because right now its off shore owned interests and operated.
In the furture it will be off shore owned with AUSTRALIAN FARMERS as partners DIRECT.
Good By Mr Elders AWB -
We will use 'our own' ships thanks BUILT by "our own aboriginal people"
tooodle pip! you cruel low lifes/

Pale, under our free speech laws, you still can't say whatever you
like about people and destroy their reputation. What the new law
will mean is that you can't do it to companies and industries either,
if they are acting lawfully. Fair enough. If you think that the
law is wrong, under our democratic system, you are free to try
and get the law changed. Others might or might not agree with you.

If you want to know about the affects of ice, go down to the
emergancy ward at your hospital. These people need security
guards to hold them down. Not much point in trying to employ them
at anything, until you have a way of dealing with the addiction.

The meat industry is not short of trained workers, they are happy
to train them. Ask Fletcher, he can't get untrained workers
in West Australia.

The AMIEU are not screaming about the live trade, but about 457
workers. They claim that if you paid workers more, you would find
them. At the present time, to send a sheep down a meat chain
in Aus, often costs more then the sheep is worth in the marketplace.
Labour cost is the biggest issue. If you increasd that cost even
more, the industry would become even more unviable, so automation
is the best option long term.

Steady rate slaughter is not about management or organisation, its
about not being able to manage rainfall. Its an agro economic argument
about the cost of grain versus the cost of pasture, versus the
cost of various meat. No reason that labour can't be flexible and
seasonal, using overseas seasonal labour. Its better then sending
off billions in overseas aid, as its a win-win situation all round.

But anyhow, you are feel to dream on about whatever you like :)
Right now there are 3 plants on the drawing board in WA. I
was told by one informed source, that it would take 3 years of
negotiation with the EPA, just to clear their hurdles for one of
them. No wonder companies don't build them!