I guess Rupert's latest outburst stuck in my craw because not so long ago Aboo was making similar disparaging remarks about his fellow Australians.
So here's some facts.
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:GxE9pi8mbB4J:www.8hourday.org.au/pdf/888_fact_03_work_rest_play.pdf+44+hour+weeks+australians+work&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=au
Quote:Australia, once recognised as the ‘working man’s paradise’
for its Eight Hour Day achievement, now has among the
highest working hours in the developed world
Quote:Australians 'working longest hours'
* October 29, 2008
Australians work some of the longest working hours in the developed world, a study has found.
About one in five Australians, or two million people, work more than 50 hours a week, the University of Sydney study shows.
The study tracked 8000 workers over five years, through to the first half of the year.
Full-time employees work an average of 44 hours per week and about one in three people want to work less.
Despite the long hours, about 85% of workers have debts to pay, the report said.
Employment standards have also deteriorated, and many workers are worried about job insecurity and work-life balance.
One in three workers hold a job that does not give them the full protection of Australian labour law, the report said.
Head of the study Dr Brigid van Wanrooy said full-time and casual employees are under pressure in the workplace.
"It is not a simple case of casual employment is `bad' and permanent employment is `good'," Dr van Wanrooy said in a statement.
"Casual employees face job insecurity but many permanent employees work very long hours.
"All workers face trade-offs between control over working hours, security of employment and quality of work."
AAP