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Re: [ProgSoc] Your rights at work have been hocked
Leefe wrote:
"Your rights at work have been hocked"
Why hasn't anybody come up with this as a slogan yet?
Maybe because it's lame? ;)
At least when you hock things you can usually get them back. Then
again... when you hock things, you usually get something in exchange.
So... what's your position on this "Work Choices" business? I don't
actually know anything much about it.
I've been before the Industrial Relations Commission before, to defend
myself from an unfair dismissal charge laid by my ex-Floor Manager. The
commissioner just threw the thing out of court, which was good. The guy
was just trying to get some money for nothing, and the whole thing was a
waste of everyone's time. Makes me not care very much about work place
relations laws -- they're a massive hindrance to small business.
I've also been in a pretty serious industrial dispute when I was at uni.
I was in a cadetship programme where my employer had me studying Comp
Sci at UTS part time for two years, while I worked for them full time.
After that I was to be paid to study full time for two years. A number
of ProgSoc people have been through the same scheme. I got fired two
years in (ripped off, hey?) for "hacking" into an online payment system.
It was the biggest corporate beat-up, completely unfair. So many Dilbert
moments. I spoke with Des Saunders, but he couldn't help me, spoke with
a few other people at the uni, but they couldn't help me, spoke to the
NSW Law Society, but they couldn't help me, and then in the end I hired
a lawyer and threatened to sue under contract law (my situation wasn't
covered by IR law) and ended up settling (for a pittance) out of court
about two years later. The whole dispute was sufficiently disruptive
that I never finished my Comp Sci degree. There was one week about six
months after that (while I was still having the legal fight) where I
lost my flat, my girlfriend, and left my new job all in the same week.
Ouch, huh? I just went back to my parents' place and got drunk for a few
months... the only rational thing to do. :)
But... I landed on my feet in the end. That's generally what happens to
people after things like that. It hurts, but it's true.
What has it left me thinking? Firstly, restrictive IR laws are going to
be abused by useless whining bitches who think they're entitled to
something from their employer that their employer is likely unable to
provide. Secondly, the laws won't help you anyway. If you're fighting
you're losing. If you become a 'victim' it's already too late. The best
thing for your personal job security is low unemployment, a combination
of skills that are in demand, and a strong economy. The best thing to
help you in a situation of "unexpected unemployment" is social security.
I do think it's important to make sure that employees get properly paid
and work in humane conditions (and unions have done some good stuff on
those fronts -- you *can't* trust those Ayn Rand reading bastards), but
I don't think it's a good idea for the state to limit an employer's
ability to sack staff members. If staff members are worthwhile then
generally they won't get sacked, and if they're worthwhile and they *do*
get sacked, then they'll find a better job and be leading a happier life
inside a few weeks. It is easier for employers to take on new staff when
they know that they can get rid of them easily too. It might sound
scary, but it's not really. You have to keep in mind that there isn't an
"infinite" pool of workers out there, and employers *do* need staff.
They can't just fire staff and hope that there's someone out there
who'll be able to take over the role and do a better job, *especially*
when there's low unemployment.
I think that the biggest industrial relations rip off is secrecy about
how much people earn. If you don't talk with your cow-orkers about how
much money you're all earning, then you won't know if you're ripping
yourself off or not when you "negotiate" your salary.
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