Election over,nothing to complain about

[junkboy75]

the transference of industries overseas is more to do with market forces and less to with unionism. simply, another country can produce the same product, with similar quality, for a cheaper price. unions can certainly act as a barrier to entry for foreign firms entering into domestic countries, but I have not heard of an example of a union making it so unprofitable for a local manufacturer that they actually packed up their bags and left. in fact, if a completely free market system operated in australia, you would see no manufacturing here at all because, in international economics parlance, agriculture is what australia should specialise in, all things constant.

as has been alluded to in previous posts, unionism have their good and bad points. unions like the MUA and AMA wield tremendous power and have great influence. however, unions aim to achieve equity for employees. benefits like RDOs, flex time, carers leave, etc are entitlements, not priviledges, and employers are obligated to provide them. salary banding in certain industries is unfair and does not account for qualifications and skills. they require intervention other then employers to abolish this unfair practice. pay should be commensurate with increases in living costs, i.e. inflation, if they're not, people can't even get by with daily living costs, and so forth.

I would rather live in a unionised country than a non unionised country, with no IR legislation or union representation, and where employees take advantage of people in slave labour and sweatshop conditions.

"consectatio excellentiae"