overpaid baggage handlers, page-117

Uni grad with $85k? You're kidding me. I think you need to reword the sentence to 10 years out of uni and earning $85k.

My grad salary was $30k in the late 90s. It went up in $3k increments per annum until I moved on from the job after 5 years. I note that the increments are still the same now, but the starting salary is $40k and it is definitely no 36hours per week job (who the hell still works 36 hours per week?)

And no, it wasn't an arts degree. It was a double major in Commerce from UNSW which comes with a nice little HECS debt.

And yes, my grad job was with one of the big 4 accounting firms in one of their most prestigious area.

So, if a 'good' job with a 'good' degree isn't worth much, what is a person who works straight out of school in a trade worth.. A hell of a lot more. By the time I finished uni, they would have had 3 years experience and completed their apprenticeship. By their mid-twenties they would be pulling in more than $100k on a mine site. I won't be pushing my kids to take a HECS debt unless they really want to go to uni.

As such, I have no sympathy for baggage handlers demanding ~$80k for bugger all hours without any form of skill. If they want the dough, work hard (i.e. > 45hours per week), get an apprenticeship and work in a job that actually requires a skillset broader than throwing a bag on a conveyor belt.