This letter was sent to me a couple of days ago from a visitor to snappa.com.au who gave me permission to publish his thoughts. He will remain anon but his views are very similar to those of many blue collar workers in our community.

I was recently issued a standard government form outlining our new intended workplace agreement, listing the government web site, for further details.

From the forwarded material, it struck me as un-fair that salaried earnings over $75,000 pa are excluded from a fairness test, and I asked via the governments web link, to explain this disparity, and outline any other rights are excluded based on a level of salary.

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I was watching an SBS program last night, which was a forum about Work Place Agreements introduced by the Howard Government. It sickened me to see some business representatives standing on thier ivory towers sprooking propaganda on how good the Australian work force has it now.

One representative of the Chamber of Commerce said “most workers now have more money in their pay packets, since the introduction of a new work place system last year”. Nearly every academic in the forum laughed and said “lies! the average hourly income has actually come down by 3 to 4%”. And most of these academics had studies and surveys commissioned by the Government to back them up.

Now, I am a business owner and I wouldn’t for a second put any of my employees and a AWPA which took all their entitlements away. Wages and conditions have been fought hard for by my father and his work mates. Going months at a time striking to get a fair days pay. My people can expect me to think of them first when making a profit. But the big end of town does not have those sorts of thoughts.

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Anzac Day, 2007 and my family wanted Pizza for dinner. I had noticed on the voucher that a surcharge of 10% of the total cost of my pizzas would have to be paid. It was a public holiday and paying an extra 10% was a fair thing to pay. The guys and gals working today, deserved the extra pay, so I was quite willing to pay Pizza Huts Public holiday surcharge.

I ordered 3 $4.95 Large pizzas from my local Pizza Hut (Christies Beach, South Australia), I had ordered them online and my wife and I had gone down to pick them up 20 minutes later. It was quite busy and while waiting I asked Lisa(my wife) “do you think these young people get a penalty rate today?”. “I don’t think so, not since the new Industrial Relations laws introduced came in” she replied.  “Well, then why are we paying a surcharge”? I responded. She went on to say she wasn’t sure, but thought it was a ripoff, if the staff didn’t get the extra money, seeing the surcharge was charged.

Mmmmmmm, I might ask the guy at the counter, do you get more money today?

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