Help Pacific nations ? I don't think that was a driver at all. Just a happy coincidence and a convenient political spin opportunity.
The issue is why we have to import workers. Why are people allowed to not do the rubbish jobs in the first place ? That has nothing to do with unions.
Penalty rates were created as an incentive for people to work more than the normal working week to enable employers to get more done. The extra hours benefited the employer. Rather than hire more people which was costly and inefficient, the employees did extra hours which were a bonus for the employer.
Instead of employers working harder to find innovative ways to cover shortfalls, the employees sacrificed personal time.
I have no problem with changing the tradition working week. If your regular shift includes weekends and gives you days off during the week, then you don't need penalty rates. That is actually pretty common these days.
It's when employers can't manage their businesses well and they exploit workers that is the problem. When you are calling workers in for an hour or two at random with no sense of regularity, particularly on weekends, then you have to expect to incentivize them.
This casualisation of the workforce is only making the problem worse. If you screw people around you will continue to get a dissatisfied workforce that contributes the minimum effort to the job. Particularly in the low skilled areas. Hence, poor performance and high turnover.
I'm not saying employees aren't contributing to the problem. I regularly ask employers, particularly small employers, what their biggest business issue is. Almost exclusively, I get an eye roll followed by the word , ' employees '.
Just as EBA's are a blunt instrument, so are the employers attitudes and management skills. They are still firmly wedged in the past. They do nothing to engage the worker.
Talk to anyone that works for a big company. It is very common to hear that they love their job. They just hate management and the stupid decisions they have to deal with.
Getting people to engage in their jobs is a huge problem. Jobs aren't just about money although it is a large part of it. Being treated well and respected goes a long way also.
Unfortunately, it seems that treating low paid workers like sheet is quite common. That develops dissension in the workforce. The less people earn, the more they are casualised and the poorer they become, particularly when things like Australian rents are through the roof. It is a long term death spiral.
I have worked in the US. The divide between well paid work and the poverty level is huge and getting worse it seems. It appears to me we are heading in that same direction going for the lowest common denominator. Low paid workers eeking out a living with little opportunity.
It's really disappointing that when we look around the world at all the different examples we are appear to be choosing the short term sugar hit option. It would be much harder to develop a better workplace ethic in Australia. It would take generations but the benefits would be immense. Instead, we are taking the low road which we will pay for ultimately.
