TOPIC:

BC wrote: so SD...you condone the blatant misuse of union funds by union officials is that right? you're quite happy for the Craig Thomson's of the world using union fees paid by some of our lowest workers to take holidays and go to prostitutes? shit...where do I sign up to be a union official? plus when I'm done spending union's money I can get an arm chair ride into parliament as a Labor Party hack. fantastic !!!

You cannot tar everyone with the same brush just because a minority of people in the movement have done the wrong thing..I am glad I work for myself so I don't have to be concerned with employers or Unions, but I never forget where I came from and its benefits

anchorman wrote: Will the corrupt bosses and over paid business men and women, give back their ill gotten gains!!!!!

Same same as far as i am concerned A/man, i dunno the diff between the 2

I moved into the mining industry in the early 70's. I had some dickhead tell me to sign a piece of paper so they could deduct THEIR funds from my wages. I said I didn't want join...guess who won that argument? Then it happened again at a different mining company. After a few years, I honestly thought I could help make a difference by being a shop steward....hah!! Then I was involved in a very long strike that decimated families, but helped boost the reverent Peter Cook into politics. Then I decided the only way out of this "powerbroker cartel" was to get a managerial position - my best decision ever. For me, eff the unions and their dictatorial policies. Our grandfathers that fought for equality and workable conditions would be turning in their graves.

anchorman wrote: Crap BC.Do you think the bosses are going to GIVE staff pay rises out of their own pocket!!!!!
Unions are essential.

That's rubbish anchor. After 35 yrs in the mining industry, I moved to Perth and in my job search found that you can negotiate your wage. You can also negotiate your wage increment.

Annual leave, sick leave, health and safety, 8 hour day, public holidays, worker comp, superannuation and a lot lot more. Enjoy it by all means but understand that without unions you would have none of it and once they are gone it will gradually disappear. Those that tell you otherwise are either poorly or very well informed.

i hope you have a huge range of ice-cream in your freezer at work swandog, you never know one of your staff might complain that you don’t stock red socialist peko ice cream and they might call the union. how would you cope with that.

58shark wrote: I moved into the mining industry in the early 70's. I had some dickhead tell me to sign a piece of paper so they could deduct THEIR funds from my wages. I said I didn't want join...guess who won that argument? Then it happened again at a different mining company. After a few years, I honestly thought I could help make a difference by being a shop steward....hah!! Then I was involved in a very long strike that decimated families, but helped boost the reverent Peter Cook into politics. Then I decided the only way out of this "powerbroker cartel" was to get a managerial position - my best decision ever. For me, eff the unions and their dictatorial policies. Our grandfathers that fought for equality and workable conditions would be turning in their graves.

shark...that is a cracking response to idealogues like SD and anchorman who live in the past and keep bringing up the very good work of the unions of years gone by to accept corrupt behavior now. Some unions are great, ...let's weed out the crap. the Fair Work Act and Commission makes most unions irrelevant...it's not a great mystery why over 80% of workers aren't members of unions which SD and the anchor conveniently ignore and won't answer the question as to why.

Happy New Year to you all anyway regardless of if you enjoy the benefits Unions have won for you over the decades or not

I'm actually of the view we don't pay them enough. More remuneration might entice a better standard of pollie rather than the dills we have now.

why should they take a pay cut, they are not paid enough. All the good leaders are in private enterprise not in politics. have you ever taken a pay cut grassy because I never have and it was never offered to me. I always negotiated my wages and that caused rifts with the staff because I got paid more than them because I worked more hours than them. they wanted the same wage as me but they didn't want to put in the hours.