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Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott. (Read 11179 times)
imcrookonit
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Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Apr 1st, 2011 at 6:13am
 
EMPLOYER groups have given a lukewarm response to Tony Abbott's plan to suspend unemployment benefits where unskilled work is available, calling for a greater focus on training and less on punitive measures.

Under the Coalition proposal, work for the dole would be mandatory for anyone under 50 who had been out of work for six months.   Sad

Unemployed people would also have their dole payments suspended where unskilled work, such as fruit picking or cleaning, was available. Sad

Australian Mines and Metals association boss Steve Knott told the Australian Online that while the concept of "getting people off the couch" was a good one, Mr Abbott's plan needed to focus more on skills.

"The government has had in place what's called a productivity placement program where they fund people to get job-ready for roles in the resources sector," he said.

"That's a good initiative. It's unclear to us how withholding benefits will facilitate people picking up skills necessary to become job-ready for our industry."



Victorian Fruit Growers association general manager John Wilson said the employment "crisis" in fruit picking was not as bad as people made out.

Employers in some areas, such as Swan Hill, struggled to find people to pick stone fruit crops but travellers made up for the worker shortfall in other regions.

"If we didn't have the backpacker workers we would have a shortage but they are supplementing our workforce," he said.

"There are jobs there for Australians if they want them, there is nothing stopping Australians applying for these jobs."


Comments on this story

   *
     JT of Bris Posted at 3:36 PM March 31, 2011

         Yep, even the business owners who the coalition claim to represent see this "plan" as populist nonsense. Still I'm sure all the 100K+ recipients of Howards middle class welfare will love it. Irony anyone?

   *
     les Posted at 3:29 PM March 31, 2011

         How about the industry gets the people "job "ready"

   *
     bob Posted at 2:11 PM March 31, 2011

         it is not just a matter of getting skills and tickets. just look in the job section and see how many employers requires 2 to 5 years experience. how do one get that when you cant get a start.   Sad 

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imcrookonit
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #1 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 6:21am
 
dan G Posted at 1:15 PM March 31, 2011

    Perhaps Tony should spend a day or two fruit picking or pruning in high temperatures, the pay is rubbish , often the conditions are lousy, the work is backbreaking and generally only experienced people can make a quid. All of the people I know who have had a go have given up because they either did not have the physical fitness required ( these are folks in their 50s and 60s ) or they made less money than they would on the dole and they had to provide their own tools, transport and accommodation. Since a recent study found that people in dead end jobs have a worse level of mental health than those on the dole ( which is going to cost the community in the long run) I would advise that Mr NO proposes a plan that is less punitive , more positive in its approach and more likely to meet with success in the long run.   Sad


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mavisdavis
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #2 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 6:27am
 
Quote:
dan G Posted at 1:15 PM March 31, 2011

   Perhaps Tony should spend a day or two fruit picking or pruning in high temperatures, the pay is rubbish , often the conditions are lousy, the work is backbreaking and generally only experienced people can make a quid. All of the people I know who have had a go have given up because they either did not have the physical fitness required ( these are folks in their 50s and 60s ) or they made less money than they would on the dole and they had to provide their own tools, transport and accommodation. Since a recent study found that people in dead end jobs have a worse level of mental health than those on the dole ( which is going to cost the community in the long run) I would advise that Mr NO proposes a plan that is less punitive , more positive in its approach and more likely to meet with success in the long run.   Sad





Or, perhaps Dan G should use Abbott`s example of hard work ethic, apply himself, and try to succeed in life.  A little bit of back bone doesn`t go astray in life.
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BigOl64
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #3 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 6:38am
 
Quote:
dan G Posted at 1:15 PM March 31, 2011

   Perhaps Tony should spend a day or two fruit picking or pruning in high temperatures, the pay is rubbish , often the conditions are lousy, the work is backbreaking and generally only experienced people can make a quid. All of the people I know who have had a go have given up because they either did not have the physical fitness required ( these are folks in their 50s and 60s ) or they made less money than they would on the dole and they had to provide their own tools, transport and accommodation. Since a recent study found that people in dead end jobs have a worse level of mental health than those on the dole ( which is going to cost the community in the long run) I would advise that Mr NO proposes a plan that is less punitive , more positive in its approach and more likely to meet with success in the long run.   Sad





It looks like dan G got his info from the institiute of makin sh1t up, obviously has has neve done this work himself.

I did a season of fruit picking when i was young and yes it is hard work, but so what, I actually enjoyed it and it didn't kill me or make me depressed.

Most of the older pickers made great money as they were experienced and could pick like demons.

What this cretin doesn't realise that fruit picking is an entry & exit level job not an actual career, so it is not like the mental stress of long term dol,e it is the beginning or end of your work life.

Some long term dole recipients do need a kick in the ring and this maybe it, obviously being soft and endlessly patient  is not working.

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imcrookonit
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #4 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:14am
 
He sacked them for pleading for water
March 13, 2010


The pickers know him only as Max, but their stories are remarkably consistent. ''Pick faster,'' he screams. ''Hurry, pickers. Work with two hands. Faster, workers, or you won't be paid.'   Sad'

''You feel like a slave,'' says Martin Pflaamenger, 22, a German backpacker.

He was one of several fruitpickers sacked while picking tomatoes on a farm near Bundaberg on February 16. The reason? They had pleaded for water after hours in the intense Queensland sun. Mehmet ''Max'' Tosun sacked them on the spot. Angry  


Only three months ago another German backpacker, Jessica Pera, 24, collapsed and died while working on a nearby farm. The coroner is investigating dehydration or heat exhaustion as possible causes of death. By all accounts to the Herald, that farm takes good care of workers. It insists they drink plenty of water.   Sad

The same cannot be said for the way Tosun does business. He and his wife, Calie, are a formidable team in Bundaberg. He is 27, she 23. Since October they have been running East Bundy Backpackers - a source of labour for Max's other business. He is a labour hire contractor for farms, which need a constant supply of fruitpickers.

Tosun and his wife, known as ''Kelly'', have refused to answer the Herald's questions concerning allegations it has gathered from seven backpackers over three weeks. But when the local newspaper ran similar claims by other backpackers this week, Calie Tosun, formerly Unwin, was quoted as saying: "I've heard people complain about the work, but if they don't like it they can leave." Her husband disputed many of the claims, but said he had to yell to make pickers work. "They need to be told what to do.''

They have only days to get their ''house in order'', says Queensland's Workplace Rights Ombudsman, Don Brown. He will not discuss individual cases, but he is sending his team to Bundaberg to investigate the industry - yet again. ''We intend to name and shame, and to refer people for prosecution where required,'' Brown told the Herald.

The federal Fair Work Ombudsman has ''serious concerns'' and has begun a separate inquiry.

Bundaberg is familiar with this sort of controversy. The mayor, Lorraine Pyefinch, other hostel operators and farmers are tired of rogue operators. They have been working hard to clean up the industry's image. Adding to their sensitivity is the coming 10th anniversary of a tragedy in nearby Childers in which 15 died in a fire at the Palace Backpackers Hostel.

''This area is entirely dependent on seasonal workers, and particularly backpackers, for our agricultural and horticultural industry,'' Pyefinch says. ''It's the backbone of our economy … In Bundaberg alone, at any one time, there's a thousand registered beds. You can double or triple that in the peak picking season - and they're the unregistered ones.''

Many backpackers go there to fulfil a requirement for a second-year holiday working visa: 88 days of fruitpicking. But Daniel Stockwell, 27, from England, has gone home, broke, having lasted one day as a picker under Max Tosun.

''I love Australia,'' Stockwell says, ''but this just killed it.''

He was sacked on February 16 with his English friend Oliver Brown, 24, Martin Pflaamenger, another German and an Australian. They woke at 3am, but there was no room on the first bus so they caught the second at 5.30am. They were lured by $17.60 an hour. ''But when we got there we heard that had changed,'' Stockwell says. ''We'd be getting paid $1.80 per bucket … I'd been picking for an hour and I'd hardly got one bucket.''

They moved to another field. After 2½ hours they were ''gagging for water''. After three hours, Brown says, he had picked eight buckets of tomatoes. ''You can do the sums.'' Thus far: $14.40.

Workers are unable to carry their own water bottles while picking. They asked for water but none came. Some sat down, refusing to work. ''How can we work without water?'' Stockwell asked.   Sad

Tosun bid them farewell. Back at the hostel they were given one hour to leave. Signs warned that only working fruitpickers could stay at the hostel. The group protested that they had paid $160 in advance for a week's accommodation. They said they called in the police, who told them it was a civil matter and they must leave. They left with no pay and no refund.   Sad

Yesterday the owner of the farm, SP Exports, terminated its contract with Tosun. Its investigations had revealed ''considerable substance to the allegations'', said its managing director, Andrew Philip. ''We employ 300 and it is certainly not the way we treat them or how we expect people to be treated.''

A spokesman for the Fair Work Ombudsman said piece rates could only be paid if a worker received at least the federal minimum wage for every hour worked, now $14.31.

John Walker, who runs the Bundaberg Workers and Divers Hostel, estimates the illegal industry in Bundaberg is at least twice as big as the legal one.
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mavisdavis
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #5 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:29am
 
Losers too lazy, or spineless to put a little bit of effort into life, will always be a source of ammusement, and an example of how not to "live".  These weaklings who sit around all their lives, bemoaning their sad fate, are hilarious in their delusions, and their self pity.
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Ex Dame Pansi
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #6 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:29am
 
Are there fruit farms in Brisbane or Bankstown?

Would you pick a BIG bucket of tomatoes for $1.20? (not your normal plastic laundry bucket) I wouldn't.

Incidentally imcrook....a German backpacker died from dehydration at a tomato farm in or near the same town. $5 a day worth dying for nah!!!!!
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andrei said: Great isn't it? Seeing boatloads of what is nothing more than human garbage turn up.....
 
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mavisdavis
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #7 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:34am
 
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:29am:
Are there fruit farms in Brisbane or Bankstown?

Would you pick a BIG bucket of tomatoes for $1.20? (not your normal plastic laundry bucket) I wouldn't.

You couldn`t, some make far better money than check out chicks, they do work hard though.

Incidentally imcrook....a German backpacker died from dehydration at a tomato farm in or near the same town. $5 a day worth dying for nah!!!!!

Whose fault was it if he didn`t have  a drink of water?



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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #8 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:43am
 
BigOl64 wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 6:38am:
It looks like dan G got his info from the institiute of makin sh1t up, obviously has has neve done this work himself.

I did a season of fruit picking when i was young and yes it is hard work, but so what, I actually enjoyed it and it didn't kill me or make me depressed.

Most of the older pickers made great money as they were experienced and could pick like demons.

What this cretin doesn't realise that fruit picking is an entry & exit level job not an actual career, so it is not like the mental stress of long term dol,e it is the beginning or end of your work life.

Some long term dole recipients do need a kick in the ring and this maybe it, obviously being soft and endlessly patient  is not working.




And so do a lot of those who unfairly malign the unemployed.
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Ex Dame Pansi
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #9 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:46am
 
mavisdavis wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:34am:
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:29am:
Are there fruit farms in Brisbane or Bankstown?

Would you pick a BIG bucket of tomatoes for $1.20? (not your normal plastic laundry bucket) I wouldn't.

You couldn`t, some make far better money than check out chicks, they do work hard though.

Incidentally imcrook....a German backpacker died from dehydration at a tomato farm in or near the same town. $5 a day worth dying for nah!!!!!

Whose fault was it if he didn`t have  a drink of water?






You watch too much The Farmer Wants a Wife. Get off the lounge and get into the REAL world.
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"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." Hendrix
andrei said: Great isn't it? Seeing boatloads of what is nothing more than human garbage turn up.....
 
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mavisdavis
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #10 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 8:07am
 
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:46am:
mavisdavis wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:34am:
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:29am:
Are there fruit farms in Brisbane or Bankstown?

Would you pick a BIG bucket of tomatoes for $1.20? (not your normal plastic laundry bucket) I wouldn't.

You couldn`t, some make far better money than check out chicks, they do work hard though.

Incidentally imcrook....a German backpacker died from dehydration at a tomato farm in or near the same town. $5 a day worth dying for nah!!!!!

Whose fault was it if he didn`t have  a drink of water?






You watch too much The Farmer Wants a Wife. Get off the lounge and get into the REAL world.



Wow, what a well thought out and sensible piece of "advice". NOT!   Cheesy
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #11 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 8:23am
 
You watch too much The Farmer Wants a Wife. Get off the lounge and get into the REAL world. [/quote]


Deary me, like the REAL world of a shop assistant?

PMSL
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mavisdavis
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #12 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 8:48am
 
ialwayspoor wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 8:23am:
You watch too much The Farmer Wants a Wife. Get off the lounge and get into the REAL world.



Deary me, like the REAL world of a shop assistant?

PMSL
[/quote]


lol.   Gotta laugh at the thought that if the shallow end of the gene pool worked half as hard as Abbott has, they wouldn`t need to pick fruit either.  Could you imagine Abbott picking fruit?  With those ears, the farmer would mistake him for a flying fox and throw a net over him.
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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #13 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 9:00am
 
Kat wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 7:43am:
BigOl64 wrote on Apr 1st, 2011 at 6:38am:
It looks like dan G got his info from the institiute of makin sh1t up, obviously has has neve done this work himself.

I did a season of fruit picking when i was young and yes it is hard work, but so what, I actually enjoyed it and it didn't kill me or make me depressed.

Most of the older pickers made great money as they were experienced and could pick like demons.

What this cretin doesn't realise that fruit picking is an entry & exit level job not an actual career, so it is not like the mental stress of long term dol,e it is the beginning or end of your work life.

Some long term dole recipients do need a kick in the ring and this maybe it, obviously being soft and endlessly patient  is not working.




And so do a lot of those who unfairly malign the unemployed.



So those who fairly malign the dole bludging freeloaders, what?  A pat on the back and a free beer.

Dole money isn't free money, someone has to go to work and pay taxes to provide it and as one of those people, im keen to see more people working and less people recieving the dole.

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Re: Why Dont You Go Fruit Picking Mr Abbott.
Reply #14 - Apr 1st, 2011 at 9:05am
 

crook - Tony does not pick fruit for a living 'cause he is a rhodes scholar who has authored a novel.

ie, he got some smarts
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