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@davidc4430 wrote:
@lyndal1838 wrote:The average Aussie wants, expects even, to be paid more than award wages.
i would imagine living on an 'award wage' is pretty difficult so wanting to be paid more is just a very natural thing. i have heard the argument that some people would rather live on the dole because there is not a huge advantage getting a job money wise.
maybe the award wage needs a lift?
but what we usually see is the poor person who is not so dumb as to understand taking a basic wage job actually leaves them worse off than when they were on benifits.
then i hear the shouts, so take the benifits away! yes that'll fix the problem....NOT.
what i believe the average aussie wants is a job that pays a wage that makes their life better than being on benifits.
What we want and what we deserve are two different things. I want a million dollars per week wages............. doesnt mean I deserve it or that it is gonna happen........
The trouble is Australian workers in general are simply not earning their keep compared to other countries. We have this wealthy, fantastic life style with huge houses, nice cars, overseas travel etc. but a lot of it is built on past wealth from basic commodities such as mining and agricultural produce.
The wealth from these basic products has in the past been distributed to a relatively small population. As we have increased our population through immigration ( to keep the construction lobby " read mates" happy ) and major companies have become more savvy at transferring wealth to low tax OS havens, we can no longer bludge off our intrinsic national wealth. We actually have to earn our wage now. Competition from workers in other low wage countries is compounding the problem.
The result is we have gone on a debt binge to maintain the lifestyle we have become accustomed too. Basic ecenomics says it simply cant keep going. We are either going to have higher unemployment or workers will have to accept lower wages and falling standards of living.
The only other option is to be more highly inovative than our competition OS, but they are all trying to do that too and they have a bigger population base to develop innovative ideas. Our education system is a mess so that wont help us and the focus on most students completing tertiary education at the expense of apprenticeships and vocational training is further damaging a broken system.
Some of our wealth is tied up by a very small section of the population and re-distribution of that wealth ( an egalitarian Labor utopia ) would help in a small way to alleviate the problem, but the wealthy have much smarter accountants and lawyers than the government, so keep dreaming on that one people.
I know people dont want to hear it, but we have been living beyond our means for too long and the chickens are starting to come home to roost. The only way I can see all of this ending is for Australian workers ( and unemployed ) standards of living to fall over time. ie. Lower wages, government benefits and consumption.
Polish your guns people and shoot the messenger................
