The Australian Working Man

During my stay in Australia, I have come to appreciate the work environment that the Australian workers have maintained for themselves. Compared to Canada, the workplace is very relaxed here, nobody seems in a rush to do much. While at home we would regard this as inefficient, is it really so? Most of the work force is employed and enjoys a high rate of pay, supported by a relatively high minimum wage of $15.51 per hour. Is not keeping everyone employed and well supported not an aim for the benefit of the people?

Unions here seem much stronger and better supported than in Canada. One example of this is the major strike actions and subsequent company actions between Qantas, the primary Australian airline, and it's unionised workers, which involved a grounding of it's fleet and a lockout of employees[1]. I believe in a business world where company profits a held as priority above all else, these strong unions will play an essential role in the protection and welfare of the employee.

Another very important thing to note is how the Australian government handles the labour market. It's really quite impressive, and I commend them for the job they've done. Instead of allowing labour to become casualised for it's citizens, as it has in the United States, it has instead implemented working holiday programs to utilize cheap labour provided by foreign tourists who don't mind working for no benefits and lower wage in less desirable positions. In this way they have created an incredibly dynamic workforce where the citizens can enjoy permanent employment with benefits, thus keeping the money and welfare in the citizen's hands.