Tag: unions

The Vegan Dilemma

Many of us in our youth took to the streets if we felt civil protest was the only way to change governments or  Legislative powers for the good of living conditions of our fellow workers or democratic rights were challenged. 
The vegan protest philosophies  however, do not fall into that category in my view and are based on core beliefs on how humans should exist today compared on how we got here over evolution. 
To be clear from the onset I am not and never will accept animal cruelty, but we have to accept the fact  the food chain exists and right down to the basic kitchen gecko chasing mosquitos to lions chasing gazelle we humans come from  carnivores and changing that will never happen, but like all beliefs be it spiritual,  political, or society changing we are entitled to have them, even live by them , but we are not entitled to force them upon others in their own homes. 
I feel invaded when people turn up wanting to convert me to their beliefs as do many, but that does not stop the right of those people holding them but forcing them by invasion is not the way to go. 
I feel deeply in  todays world animal experiments should be a thing of the past, our science should have expanded past that age, but we cannot change the way we evolved, agreed not pretty in places but to be brutally honest we as humans do much more damage to each other in daily life physically and mentally on this planet than we do to when we take to survive and maybe that’s where our own back yard would be a good place to start to clean up first. 

Polling Complacency, a Danger to Our Culture.

The expulsion of the young Nationals should start the alarm bells ringing in all political institutions in Australia.

The simple fact the strategy was to infiltrate a major party and change political platforms in such a blatant way and go unchecked shows that our political systems can be influenced by the extreme be it left or right and the smaller parties are not exempt.

On social media I am seeing groups accelerate decisive propaganda preying on people’s emotions, encouraging religious and cultural divide, all in the name of being “Real Australians” a nationalistic trend that is happening across the globe by ult-right organisations. These groups thrive when people become political disenfranchised and results in people voting for the minors as a protest vote. Those minors are easy meat for the extremists as the structures are in place and the numbers easier to be stacked and then balance of power is the objective.

I am in favour of competition in our democracy but I do not want to see our divide grow as it has in America. We are smarter than that I hope, but let’s not fall into the trap that “all politicians and Parties are the same”, either, their not. Some ideologies are deadly serious to change our culture to one controlled by interest groups similar to the NRA.

Be aware punters, not complacent.

LNP run Scared of Federal ICAC.

Ho hum, nothing is new when the the conservatives see the trade union movement a enemy. Nothing new when they establish a royal commission into them and come away with egg on their faces at the cost of millions for taxpayers. Illegal raids on union premises and ministers who hide from senate scrutiny.

Yes they are the proverbial punching bag for every LNP politician since dot we have to ask why.?

As time goes on we take for granted pensions, holiday, sick leave, superannuation, maternity leave right down to your lunch room all of which was fought for by unionists, not given but fought for.

I won’t go into on Job safety,wage parity,or things this like asbestos victim support, compensation, as each and every one of the mentioned above was opposed by the good employers who believe we should be thankful as was the serfs.

The standards of the present government has been set when our new PM was dragged kicking and screaming into the current Bank Enquirey looking after his mates and imagine if any union had committed offences against its membership as the banks have to their customers how the conservatives would respond.

Personally I can’t wait to see a full federal ICAC/ CCC set up in Australia to investigate all sides and again we have to ask why this government runs scared whenever it’s mentioned.. Yes PM again you can run but you can’t hide, it will come.

Run in full..

Capped Political Campaigns Stems Corruption

At what point is it when government becomes a servant to lobbyists, foreign nations, and big business?

The Australian Labor Party, exPrime Ministers, Current Opposition Leaders and Unionists have been subject to Royal Commissions, Federal Raids, and Ministerial sackings all in the hope that corruption can be proven either personal or institutional with Dastayari being the casualty of basic stupidity he will probably admit to.

Saturday we witness the Poker Machine industry and the Gun Lobby sponsor a campaign but we are not allowed to see to what extent until 6months after the election. So what was the deal struck? No one gives money without payback.

Chinese government investors have pumped cash into South Australian Liberals for the upcoming state election the same offence Dastayari got rolled for and the media is silent but are very vocal if union cash from Australian workers want representation. And nothing more has to be said about where the fossil fuel industry’s cash ends up.

My point is all elections state ,federal, local should have capped campaigns, full live political donations broadcast across all media outlets not just web site releases available only to those who are tech savvy.

Media outlets should not be exempt and “in kind” advertising in lue of cash reveals to what extent they are balanced or slanted in political opinion or factual copy.

Yes “Live Fact Check” re launch and legislated in total as a independent authority as is the electoral commission.

The world is witnessing the extent of power the NRA has over politicians in America and it’s going that way here if we do not act now and I’m sure all parties will give lip service to the above but the extent they act is totally dependant on to what extent our government and media is committed to the real deal or is playing their piper’s tune

Please be aware the copy in Bold Print was left out of the Queensland Times Letters to the Editor.

Let’s Get Apprentices Earlier

Discussion Paper. Subject Apprenticeships

As a kid who left school in Junior level, that is 15 years or about’s and started a trade in the January of 1966 I was a naive, scared, and totally oblivious to anything other than not upsetting anyone in my workspace.

Plucked from the schoolroom I knew nothing about life skills other than those I had learned on the sporting grounds and family discipline.

Looking back that was not a bad thing as I listened and consumed everything my Master, my Tradesman, and technical teachers imparted sometimes to the letter.

Being a kid in a mans world can be confronting but as you mature you you learn quickly how the world really works.

My Boilermaking trade at the Shipyard and Kangaroo Point gave me a understanding of other cultures, customs, from all walks of life as it was within walking distance from Yungabah Hostel a entry point to migrants to Australia and often a job for those men and women starting a new or escaping their past.

My eyes and ears were open to their experiences, expectations, good and bad from their homelands and often was privileged to their cultural traditions, broadening my education in life.

All this was happening before I was old enough to get a car licence at 17, have a beer legally at 21, or go to war at 19.

I was lucky but the system was such that when you are at a age, naive or not you can start to shape a personal profile of experience where maturity comes a dam site earlier that today’s youth.

Today kids are encourage to stay in the school system even though they may not be suited. In school apprenticeships have pluses and minuses but basically protect the kid from reality of the real workforce where it’s get to work yourself and learn your trade, please your Master and employer.

That position of Master has been disposed of as he or she was totally responsible to ensure the apprentice was not exploited, learned ever aspect of his trade, and respected his superiors status.

Yes my Master was not backward of putting a smart arse on his arse with a backhander or straight left if you misbehaved, and was supported by the union rep if it was warranted.

Imagine that today!! Mummy and Daddy delirious with uproar for someone doing what they should have done earlier in childhood.

Apprenticeship today on a 4 year time delivers 22 to 24 year olds specifically trained only on what phase of the trade they have been in contact. Often employers see cheap labour till they get too expensive then flick them, and the system allows that, where before employers and the boards were legally bound to find a apprentice a job at his or her level if the firm went broke.

Some 4th year apprentices can be married with kids and expected to live on those wages, no wonder they are leaving.

Mid life apprenticeship are a result of the system not doing its job earlier, selling the trades, and paying the wages. Yes the Unions must share the blame proportional but the fact the culture of subcontractors has destroyed the standards of all trades for the magic dollar.

I know a few tradesmen that have kept their contract and turned out magnificent tradesmen, fully equiped and experienced to handle any job set before them but sadly on completion they must expand their knowledge and move on.

This often causes bad blood as often they will go out in opposition to their former boss.

In my case on completion I was handed my indentures and told to move on or get sacked and would be welcomed back after about 3-4 years somewhere else.

I did, moved to structural steel and finally left the trade about 8 years later.

Cutting to the chase what I’m saying is we need to get potential apprentices early, when they can absorb everything, in a environment and culture where they see they can have a future, and prepared to cop a little pain early in the game to reap the benefit on completion.

We need to have manufacturing industries and start building things here, as it’s cheaper in the long run to have them paying tax, buying stuff than keeping them on the dole or in part time farcical jobs that make the working poor poorer.

The crunch is coming and believe me infrastructure will be our way out and the shiney arses will be the first casualty.

Human Capital just Collateral Damage. 

 Six billion dollar profit leads to a 6 thousand job loss and the carnage continues. 

In a few short years we have witnessed the collapse of the automotive industry, major manufacturing and service industries closing or moving offshore, and closer to home our meat workers and process plants leaving thousands of employees, subsidiary industries employees and suppliers destitute or close to it all in the name of greater returns to business or shareholders. 

We have come to a stage where Human Capital/Workers are just collateral damage to the corporations. Use them, then dump them, when it’s time to consolidate.

The trickle down ideology has failed, capitalism is failing world wide, while the nations who invest in their own people and infrastructure and treat them accordingly are emerging as new world powers.

I have heard the cat calls of Socialist all my life, but when I ask what is the future of your child or grand child if the present trend of use and abuse continues they have no answer but agree the gap between the rich and working poor grows daily. 

The glory days are over, robotic technology will replace most repetitive jobs so us humans need to consider if sharing in the nations wealth system out ways that of being drip fed at some corporates pleasure, and vote accordingly. 

One Law Stands on Citizenship. 

 Watching the high court decision fall on the politicians who broke the law, therefore claimed false wages and conditions and wondered if they were just average employees or dare I say trade unionists or Centrelink recipients would this government have commenced recovery proceedings if not fraud charges before the end of the day. Some surrendered while others denied to the death and hoped. 

Genuine mistakes, ignorance, poor research or blame mummy and daddy all excuses that are used daily by kids in primary school.

The facts are these people were paid by us to do a job they were not qualified to do. Made decisions they were not legally qualified to do, and if they were tradesmen or professionals they would be charged accordingly.

So the test is will common law, the law that applies to normal everyday Australians be applied to those who see themselves exempt due to the fact their political party failed to comply on accepting their nominations.?

Will they charge the law or introduce a whoopsie legislation only for them?

They didn’t do it when they cut health cards and chased alleged overpayments for the Centrelink, in many cases that was proved governments computer interfacing errors, but that’s a different class of people in our society isn’t it ? 

One law for all and no get out of jail free cards please. 

Criminalise Rouge Employers

While the federal governments war on the trade unions continues it conveniently ignores employers that underpay employees and when they are caught they can pleaded ignorance without charge if they repay.If I steal money from that same employers business I get charged with theft immediately but stealing from employees as is wage theft is allowed goes unpunished.

I accept mistakes do occur if award increases are missed unintentionally by some small operators however there are much bigger employers knowingly underpaying especially in the retail and hospitality industries manipulating employees to the detriment of employers who do the right thing and comply with the laws.

Theft is theft in all its forms and regardless if a employee or employer infringes the laws should apply equally, and this federal government should pursue and prosecute the employers as hard as they have the trade union movement if they get a sniff of any wrongdoing.

These employees in retail and hospitality have suffered a penalty rate cut so ensuring base rate compliance is critical so its up to Turnbull to ensure laws are in line with the all community standards and rouge employers charged accordingly. 

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑