... for business.
When you consider that it's just decided to cut the minimum wage to make Australian industry "more competitive" and that about 60% of all worker in this country are putting in unpaid overtime, with the possibility that under an ABA that penalty rates and holiday pay are no longer mentioned in the legislation, then it follows that business must be better off because they're paying less in wages whilst taking higher rewards. That's clearly a fairer system.
Participation rates, that is the level of Australians actually actively employed, now includes any worker employed for one day within the census period of 13 weeks. Coupled with the "work for the dole" schemes, the Government is able to show both the lowest level of unemployment in 30 years. It's funny that, for if you look at the 1960 definitions of what consitutes being "fully employed", then Australia actually has an unemployment rate of 59.6% or roughly double that at the height of the depression.
Real wages have been steadily falling since 1981. The measure of this is the "median wage time purchase power". If we look at the Holden Commodore, this stood at 32 weeks back in 1980 but now it's blown out 67 weeks and whilst it could be argued that cars are more technologically advanced, the number of weeks wages to buy a 48/215 in 1948 was 33 weeks.
Mr Howard's reforms are coming along nicely. Australia has chosen its path to economic competitiveness with Asia by in effect, lowering our wage bill. Since it's a demand driven system, what Canberra demands, Canberra gets... just be buggered if you happen to be reduced to an economic labour unit along the way.
(Written with data from the ABS, the ATO and Work Choices) - Authorised by A Rollason of the John Howard is a Toadying Little Mugwup and I hope he gets Diahorrea Party
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