Blog comments

• Hi Wobbly
  Thanks for taking the time to answer my post. Your experience with unions is different to mine. I have only worked sites where unionism was voluntary and have gained many benefits from membership. I agree union power can be abused and this is wrong but in my opinion unionism has delivered a net gain to society in terms of pay and conditions and for every example of union wrongdoing there would be an equal number of examples where employers have misused their power and exploited workers.
  Take a look at the US and see the number of working poor who earn below minimum wage in apalling conditions. I know where I'd rather live.
  BTW I don't think you're an idiot as I have never met you and I'm sure you're a very nice bloke.

  steve Thursday 26 August, 2010 - 4:31 PM

• @Steve...
  In the words of your leader.. That's a very good statement Steve. An excellent statement that has required a great deal of thought on your part. (All that with the appropriate talk down as if we are all idiots.)
  Yes Steve. I've had a little involvement with unions.
  As a very young chap I refused to join the union at Unilever in Melbourne. I was there between jobs to make money and was working in the process of making margarine. I achieved bonus money status after reaching a target. Always after about 3 days into the week. I loved it. The bosses loved it. The tax man loved it and; The union hated it. They insisted I join their union and comply with their demands as far as work targets were concerned. Eventually they were going to close that huge business down over the issue. I had been there long enough for my purposes, so I left.
  A fair days work for a fair days pay? Not in that union Steve.
  That business I understand is now primarily located overseas.
  I imagine this is why all our factories have closed down Steve.
  I could give you other similar examples, but don't want to waste space here.
  In conclusion, the decent union members (and there are heaps of them), are simply told to pay up by the bully boys. If they don't they lose their jobs. Not because of incompetence, but because the Unions need money to back and finance their political aspirations. How disgusting that they do not have a choice.

  Wobblyone Thursday 26 August, 2010 - 12:52 PM

• wobbly
  With regard to your take on unions - do you or did you receive a wage?
  If you do, then you've got a union to thank for the pay and conditions you receive(d) - if you're not in the union, then how do you explain your riding on the backs of decent union members paying their dues for you to gain all the benefits.

  steve Tuesday 24 August, 2010 - 4:40 PM

• Liberal 73
  Labor 72
  Ind 5
  green 1
  Latest figure from AEC

  Ronny Of Brighton QLD Tuesday 24 August, 2010 - 3:24 PM

• @Steve. Mate you are a bloody idgit, I went to school in days when pupils had to learn HOW to spell, do maths both A and B, enumerate without the use of a calculator, thats when teachers were teachers, and there was no such thing as a free period. Assignments and study every night not once a week. Young fellah in those days you were not even a twitch in your old mans t.s.t.c.les. You have a good day now.

  Phil of Springwood Tuesday 24 August, 2010 - 3:17 PM

• @Steve...
  Labour is spelled LABOUR...
  If you want to spell it the "DUH !!!" Party way, then that's your problem.
  As I understand it, the Labour Party was set up to protect and look after the "WORKERS" of the country. Maybe, way back then, unionists just couldn't spell anything properly,
  or,
  deliberately misspelled it to get a sympathy vote????
  lol, lol, lol, lmao. In any event, they certainly have lost their way, so you go on spelling it incorrectly Steve, if it makes you feel good.

  Wobblyone Tuesday 24 August, 2010 - 2:04 PM