|
Issue No. 243 | 22 October 2004 |
The Perfect Storm
Interview: The Last Bastian Unions: High and Dry Security: Liquid Borders Industrial: No Bully For You History: Radical Brisbane International: No Vacancies Economics: Life After Capitalism Technology: Cyber Winners Poetry: Do It Yourself Poetry Review: Hard Labo(u)r
Sydney Water Outsources Brains Bosses Celebrate with Sack-athon Kangaroo Strikebreakers Spotlighted Pratt Backs Warwick Farm Loser
Politics Parliament The Soapbox The Locker Room Parliament Postcard
Whose prosperity? Shop Till the Worker Drops Unreported Views Bob�s Silver Anniversary Hit And Myth
Labor Council of NSW |
Tool Shed Get A Life
***** Serial Company Director Margaret Jackson sent a message back from her slow orbit around the planet Jupiter this week to remind us of just how out of touch she is with the real world. "I can't believe that thousands of staff are focussed on this as the most significant thing in their life," said Jacko of her recent pay rise in the vicinity of 66 percent. Jackson is the head of the team that is currently engaging in a bit of good old-fashioned scab herdi...err...customer protection. It would appear that the one thing they are trying to protect customers from is staff that have job security and decent training. Our Tool Of The Week falls into the economist's trap of being totally correct while totally missing the point. Margaret is one of those wonderful corporate robots that dream of a world where we all do nothing except work and sleep, preferably with very little sleep. It's probably quite true that for many Qantas employees there are many things that are more significant than their jobs. It's called having a life. It might be the partner's latest hairstyle or even what they're going to do with that bit of the backyard where the Wisteria used to be. It might be dad's health, that recipe for mint carrot cake or the latest Bryce Courtney novel. But it doesn't follow that her and her mates helping themselves to a pay rise the size of the GDP of a small African country doesn't get up their nose. While it mightn't be the most significant thing in their lives, Margaret, it doesn't necessarily follow that it isn't the most significant thing in their working lives. Given that Margaret and co seem to enjoy treating their staff like something that you'd scrape off your shoe after a walk in Sydney Park, we can only congratulate her for revealing with exquisite timing. The feeling amongst the people at Qantas who actually do work (as opposed to those that sit around mouthing off inanities like our Tool Of the Week) is not exactly one of rapturous joy for the good fortune that has befallen Jackson and her dopey colleagues. Here's a tip for our Tool Of The Week. Get a life Margaret, and you might just get some hint of why your workers aren't too keen to let you rubbish theirs.
View our Gallery of Tools Nominate a Tool!
|
Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
© 1999-2002 Workers Online |
|