Henry Ford

No matter how big your dreams are – we’ll be happy to offer you a job and make them happen!

We shall endeavour to improve our employment by investing in the following major initiatives:

• The creation a new Department for Public Works will provide jobs for all people willing to work. See “Welfare” for further details.

• Decades ago Australia was often referred to as the working man’s heaven and amongst the first to introduce the 8-hour working day. Lots of governments changed since then and now many are working much longer to make a living. Some say we have to compete with countries where people work harder and longer, but the reality is often very different. Despite our contracts, awards and other documents limiting the working week to 40 hours or less, countless people are pressured by various means to work more and hardly get any reward in return. Everyone can understand that not all jobs can fit into a limited working day or week and sometimes we have to make exceptions. The question we are asking is - have these “exceptions” become a rule. How many have to sacrifice their precious social life, family time or other interests (and commitments) in order to keep their “demanding” jobs? How many children miss their parents because they are always working overtime. How many families fail to survive such long working hours? We think now is the time to stop this abuse and make sure no one suffers any more. We believe such practice is counterproductive and hurts our country and industry as well. We shall legislate in order to regulate and limit unpaid overtime work. Businesses that break these rules will have to pay heavy penalties and compensate their employees. The scheme will have similar structure or be part of the current Worksafe system.

• Our next step towards streamlining of our industry will be the gradual introduction of 7 work days per fortnight with flexible days off during any day of the week (Mon. - Sun.). In this way the present “weekend” (i.e. Sat. & Sun.) will be abolished, and we will work or rest any day in the week. The new scheme will not affect the duration of the current working hours but will greatly improve our flexibility to balance work and rest. This arrangement will be beneficial for a vast number of industrie. To name only a few:

Transport: The current weekend lulls and weekday jams will be eliminated or greatly reduced. Public transport, airlines, etc. will have more even loads every day of the week. Commuting to and from work (accounting for 20% of the traffic) will reduce up to 30%.

Tourism : The weekend peak will be replaced with steady, week-long higher occupancy. Improved efficiency will reduce costs and boost profits. People will have more time off and tourism will become more popular.

Manufacturing: Factories, machines and equipment will be used 7 days a week – up to 40% better loading, faster turnaround and depreciation, and ultimately better productivity and profitability.

Services: You will not be required to wait a day or two until your essential repairs, services or deliveries are done, banks, offices and everything else will be available every day! Many industries like mining, steel-production, power generation, shipping etc. have been working “around the clock” for decades. Productivity, since introduction of the 8 hour workday increased several hundred percent, and now we can afford to make the next historic step. Changing the current 5-day week system will require minimal effort, easily offset by the huge social and economic benefits.

Example: on average we spend about 0.5 hr to prepare for work and 1.25 hr commuting to and from work. The new system will save us about 2.5 hrs (6.5%) per week, which can be better used in many other pursuits. Like any change, this system may not be better for everyone. There may be some businesses unable or unwilling to accept it. They will be able to continue their current systems for as long as they like – the change will be gradual and voluntary.

• Many recent studies, scandals and publications suggest that Illegal drug use is wide spread amongst many industries. We barely pay any attention if this is sport, gambling, entertainment, or other similar industries, but this problem is by no means limited to just a few. If you’re “unlucky” to work in the transport industry you face stiff penalties if you’re caught with drugs or alcohol, but most of your mates working in no less important or strategic industries may never worry about a drug or alcohol test. Would you be happy to know that the mind of the security guard beside you, or the police officer, the tax agent, the doctor, the bank manager and many other people you work with (and depend on) may be clouded with drugs? Wouldn’t it be safer for all of us if we make sure that all industries are drug and alcohol free? We shall introduce legislation for regular random drug and alcohol tests across all industries carried out by the Worksafe authority as part of routine workplace safety checks. Penalties under this law shall be very serious (similar to the current ones used in road transport) and uniform for all industries. Anyone of us - truck driver or shop assistant, lawyer or senator, shall have the same responsibility and all of us shall benefit from drug and alcohol free business and industry.

• We love to celebrate and commemorate many anniversaries, events, dates and other occasions. Every day of our calendar is full of events which may be worth celebrating – be it the birth of Christ or Charles Darwin. Each one of us has her/his own values, tastes, beliefs or preferences and they rarely match the official public holidays. Instead of having “fixed” public holidays we shall introduce individual random holidays which would equal the number of the current ones (the national average is about 11 days). Each of us shall be able to choose her/his own random holidays any day of the year and celebrate any event she/he likes. The flexible public holiday system shall benefit each of us – be it employer or employee. Most businesses shall be able to operate 365 days per year and would enjoy even loading throughout the year (this would be beneficial for tourism, hospitality, entertainment, retail and many other industries) Instead of struggling to find accommodation (or just waiting for hours to get out of town during the holiday traffic jams) and paying astronomic prices during the current holidays you shall be able to relax and enjoy your nominated random holidays in peace and quiet, well within budget.  The new system shall celebrate diversity and multiculturalism 365 days per year for the benefit of the whole nation.

• We shall curb the power of some militant unions abusing their powers at the expense of the whole society. No industrial action shall be allowed without a simple majority obtained through a fully democratic union members vote. Voting shall be secret, compulsory and monitored by the Industrial Relations Commission. Crippling industrial disputes like the Waterfront crisis cost us (not only the employers) billions of dollars and ruin our credit ratings.

• Increased powers of the Industrial Relations Commission (which shall have equal number of members from all industrial backgrounds: experts, unemployed, self-employed, workers, volunteers, contractors, businessmen, etc.) will minimise our losses due to disputes and assure fast and fair resolution for all problems.